Mythical
by Dark Empress V
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn's legacy: there are still people willing to defend it.
1. Reunion

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Reunion**

 **Author's note:** _This story starts after episode 16 of season 6 of Arrow and explains some plot holes in previous seasons. So forget what you've watched after, enjoy what this is now and enjoy the adventure!_

XxXxXxX

 _ **The Labyrinth, Thanatos Guild secret compound, Hindu Kush Mountains, early spring 2018  
**_

Athena changed the bandage on the wound Thea Queen had given her. The pain was still there, but she was definitely on the mend. She took a sip of her healing herbs and sighed as she remembered the events of the past several years. Nyssa Al Ghul, always sticking her nose where it didn't belong. And Al Saher's daughter... Such a disappointment. But the person she felt most angry with was herself. How could she allow all this to happen?

XxXxXxX

 _After they'd resurrected Sara Lance and Nyssa had destroyed the Lazarus Pit, Malcolm started to suspect she might have allies within the League and secretly gathering more. He was well aware that his sudden elevation from Enemy of the League to its leader didn't go over well with many warriors. Despite the fact that Nyssa was now imprisoned for her deed, her influence remained palpable. Malcolm formed a secret organization of his own, taking in only those he trusted completely. He called it the Thanatos Guild. It's chief members were Athena, Tigressa and Malcolm's most trusted warriors, some of whom he'd brought with him when he took over as Resh: Emily Carson - his Beloved and co-ruler, her friend Sabrina Snow, a mercenary and Malcolm's first Lieutenant. There were also people from outside the League, allies Malcolm had acquired over the years. They would meet in secret in a forgotten compound near Nanda Parbat Malcolm had discovered when he first became a member of the League, which, due to the yet unconfirmed number of its twisting corridors, Malcolm decided to call the Labyrinth. Their main goal was to discover other Pits, which, according to ancient League lore, were scattered all over the globe. Their other goals were to weed out Nyssa's allies and to find a way to repair the damaged Pit in Nanda Parbat and enhance it._

 _Soon, other problems started to appear. Malcolm could not let go of his former life - he kept returning to Star City, trying to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter, helping Oliver Queen fight his battles. Athena confronted him about this repeatedly, at one point she even accused him of neglecting the League's interests, risking his life for a man that despised him and a girl that disowned him as a father. They argued, but Malcolm never punished her for her outbursts, knowing she was doing this out of loyalty._

 _Then the unimaginable happened. After Malcolm was maimed and dethroned as Resh Al Ghul by Oliver Queen and Nyssa disbanded the League, the Guild escaped to the Labirynth, but Al Saher was still blinded by his love for Thea, which diverted his focus from the Guild's goals. The research had dragged on for months at a snail's pace, with Malcolm disappearing for weeks on end to cooperate with Oliver Queen's greatest enemy, Damien Dark. His lust for vengeance and his obsession about Thea completely clouded his judgment. Then, he decided to turn against Dahrk and helped Oliver defeat him, but still was scorned for his effort and rejected.  
_

 _He disappeared completely, along with Emily, returning a few weeks later to continue the research, but he was even more of a shadow of himself than before, still hell-bent on making Thea forgive him. When they received news she had been kidnapped by another one of Oliver's enemies, Malcolm rushed to help them without a moment's hesitation, taking Emily and his closest allies with him._

 _And he was killed, leaving them abandoned with a broken empire, shattered dreams and no idea what to do next. The rest of the team's status was MIA, possibly KIA, or even worse: traitors._ _Athena was loath to assume the worst, but her training had taught her just that, so she reluctantly put out the order to capture them and bring them back to explain themselves._

XxXxXxX

Athena was pulled out of her reverie by a knock on the door.

"We've managed to apprehend Emily Carson," one of the guards said.

"Bring her in," Athena ordered.

"Hera," Athena said as the woman was dragged in, then dropped to the floor.

"You know I never fully accepted this nickname. I do not share your affinity for Greek mythology. Always preferred the Romans. And I don't appreciate being put in chains."

Emily made a sudden movement and shattered her shackles as if they were mere plastic instead of steel, then rose to her feet. "You forget your place, Athena. I am Al Saher's consort and the rightful ruler of the Guild."

Athena whipped out her sword and put the tip to Emily's neck.

"Stop the playacting, Athena," Emily spat, clearly unafraid. "I was there when Malcolm perished, forced to listen to the final words of the love of my life on commlinks, too far to get to him in time before he had to sacrifice himself for that ungrateful, irresponsible brat of his on Lian Yu. While you were where? Here, in exile, 'holding down the fort', cowering next to the remnants of what Nyssa Al Ghul had laid to waste when she disbanded the League!"

Emily reached out and grabbed the blade, squeezing it until it drew blood, showing no signs of pain. "So are we to go on with this grandstanding charade, or continue our conversation, like the friends we have been for years?" She asked in a calmer tone.

Athena sheathed her sword. She gestured for Emily to sit with her at the table. The servants poured them goblets of wine. Athena ordered one of them to bring some bandages for Emily's wound. They obliged within seconds.

"If we'd been such good friends, Her- Emily, then why did you and Al Saher repeatedly shut me out for years and refused to listen to my advice about Oliver Queen and his sister?" Athena demanded. "Look at how it ended!" she added in a wistful tone.

"I know," Emily said in a low voice. "But you know just as well as I do that wild horses wouldn't stop Malcolm from coming to their rescue, no matter how much they berated and humiliated him. All I could do was be there for him and try to protect him as best I could, even from himself. And on that wretched Island, I failed." Emily stared into her goblet with a haunted gaze.

"It's been months now, Emily. Where were you all this time?" Athena asked. "Grieving?"

"Yes. For a while I was completely paralyzed. My entire world was shattered. There were moments when I seriously considered ending myself," Emily admitted as she let the servant dress her wound.

"You should have come back here," Athena said. "I was grieving too."

Emily shook her head. "No, I couldn't come back. As you know, there are several stages of grief: denial, bargaining, depression, anger and acceptance. When I reached anger, the paralysis was finally gone and I decided I would NEVER reach the final stage, because I DO NOT and WILL NOT accept Malcolm being gone."

"So what did you do?"

Emily took a small sip of her wine. "A little bit of observing, for a start," she replied with a dark smile.

"Observing, as in spying, infiltrating?" You've always been particularly skilled at this," Athena complimented her.

"Yes, among other things... I did what needed to be done."

Emily started to elaborate. "I went undercover, spying on the Green Arrow and his precious sister. And it was horrid, Athena. I mean, Thea was slightly mopey about Al Saher's sacrifice for maybe a second, then moved on as if nothing had ever happened. Her brother was no better, and it really sickens me.

"I saw Thea become a hypocrite, which I think she's always been anyway, only now she is honing her skills, apparently.

"I saw Oliver try to be a mayor and fail abominably in the face of the many threats to the city he always so adamantly claimed he wants to protect.

"And this new team of recruits he's gathered? Don't even get me started on that!"

Emily huffed and took a sip of her wine.

"Still the same passionate Emily Carson," Athena smiled. "I'm glad to have you back, friend."

"I'm glad to be back."

"For a while there, I even suspected you were a traitor, Athena admitted.

Emily's blue eyes turned to steel, but it couldn't hide the hurt she felt at the accusation. She put her goblet on the table with a bang and stood up, towering over the other woman.

"How could you even entertain such a thought?! I would give my very life for Malcolm, right this instant, no questions asked. Athena, if you believe that I would ever turn against him then you don't know me at all! So go ahead and cut me open, bleed me dry. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than be accused of such nonsense!"

"Hera, Emily, Ems, calm down," Athena said, putting an arm on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. The news of Al Saher's death clouded my judgement for a very long time. I couldn't think clearly and.. my grief, my anger, my... despair had me grasping at straws, no matter how ridiculous they seemed. Please forgive me, Hera, I was foolish."

Emily looked at her and sat back in her chair. "I know what you must have been feeling, Athena," she said in a calmer tone. I'd probably have reacted the same way, had I been in your place. It took me a while to regain even a modicum of reason after I returned from Lian Yu. Let's put this... misunderstanding behind us and focus on what could really turn the tide our way."

Athena nodded in agreement.

"So, about your observations," Athena started. "Thea Queen seems hell-bent on defying Al Saher's legacy."

"She seems hellbent on _obliterating_ his legacy," Emily corrected _. "_ However, it's more than that," she took a gulp of her wine. "I witnessed Malcolm rescuing her time and time again, but all she was and is doing is thwarting his plans, because she's too stupid to understand the greater purpose. Now, she and Nyssa are on a quest to destroy the remaining Lazarus Pits, and the Lazarus Pit is what brought her back to life! Bloodlust or whatnot, our Thanatos Guild was always meant to bring LIFE back, in a healthy form, not an evil one they think it is. We need to make them understand it! We were working on it with Malcolm, on methods to improve the Pits, make the resurrection process safe. Then stupid Nyssa came along."

Athena lowered her head in shame. "It is my fault she and Thea have the map to the Pits' location now. I was not vigilant enough and some of her spies found out about the Guild's existence. I went after the map Al Saher had made, but I was not strong enough to fight Nyssa and and her allies and they out-manouvered me. I'm pathetic."

Emily touched her arm gently. "You are not pathetic. And the game is not lost, Athena."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We fight on, despite all odds, just as Malcolm always taught us."

Athena rose from her chair and put and object on the table. It was a silver pendant in the shape of a bow - the symbol of the leader of the Thanatos Guild.

"It is yours, Emily. "With Malcolm gone, you are the leader now."

"Only until he returns," Emily smiled as she put the pendant on.

"What?" Athena exclaimed.

"Let's say I have a few aces up my sleeve."

XxXxXxX

 **Author's note:** _Cliffhanger, people, always love those, right? Chapter inspired by the episode 16, I have not yet watched the others. I like the character of Athena and hate the way Thea is going about Malcolm's legacy. My other stories are still very much in the works._

 _I would appreciate your opinion on this!_


	2. Reconnaissance

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Reconnaissance**

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Here I am with another one. Also, remember that this is AU and in here, Thea did not go into a coma after the explosion on Lian Yu._

 _Spoiler alert for those who don't watch Legends of Tomorrow: some plot items from there are included._

 _Welcome to another installment of my Merlynverse!_

XxXxXxX

 _ **The Labyrinth, Thanatos Guild secret compound, Hindu Kush Mountains, early spring 2018**_

Athena took a sip of her wine. "Alright, I will let you keep the secret of those 'aces up your sleeve' you mentioned, for now, provided you tell me how you managed to infiltrate Oliver Queen's organization in the first place."

Emily smiled. "It was surprisingly easy. As you are aware, I know Oliver from college. Well, one of the many he managed to drop out of." The two women chuckled at the remark.

"And aside from being a Star City socialite with some wild days similar to Oliver's on my record, I also happen to have a degree in business and political science in combination with being COO of my father's company, Carson Motors."

"And several years of grueling training in various martial arts schools under your belt, including being the top lieutenant in Malcolm's League," Athena grinned.

"Well, i did not mention that last part to Oliver," Emily chuckled briefly. But all of it came quite handy when… after…" she paused and her expression darkened as she remembered the unyielding despair of the days immediately following the events on Lian Yu.

XxXxXxX

 _Had the entire operation not been so rushed, had Malcolm not been so hell-bent on abandoning the Guild's research and helping Oliver save Thea and his precious Team Arrow, Emily and her associates would have had more time to prepare. Instead, they went in practically blind as Malcolm's ad-hoc secret backup. And all they ended up with was having to listen as Malcolm took his daughter's place on the mine, while she, whom he loved beyond all others, hightailed it as far away from him as possible, leaving him to his death._

 _The sound of the explosion had torn through Emily like a blade made of boiling lava. She struggled against her friends who pulled her back towards their own aircraft and flew away, watching Lian Yu become engulfed in the flames of the second, massive explosion. Emily knew there was nothing she could do for him, but the very core of her soul refused to accept it._

 _It was days before she was able to retain even an ounce of composure, to function again. Everywhere she turned, there were memories of him, of their times together, of how he never shrunk from a challenge, how steadfastly he stood by what he believed in. No matter what the world threw at him, he faced it with dignity and courage. He drew strength from places where seemingly there was none to be found. And he had taught Emily the same skill. It was very short into their acquaintance, first purely professional, then intimate, when she recognized him as the one she'd been waiting for all her life. Not a fling or a Valentine's Day story, but a true soulmate. No embellishing words necessary. A treasure, so recently and suddenly ripped away by the mistakes of clueless fools._

 _After Lian Yu, the bars of her mental cage resonated with despair, emptiness and longing, mixed with disbelief, guilt and...anger._

 _The worst of it all was that she couldn't feel him anymore._

 _In the past, whenever he went on one of the many life-endangering missions, got lost or imprisoned, was presumed dead, she still felt him, knew he had made it somehow. It was like a shadow, a comforting darkness, the supernatural confidence he was there._

 _She remembered watching an interview with a woman who'd lost her twin sister to a terrible accident in very suspicious circumstances. And the woman described exactly what Emily was feeling. That even if they were miles away from each other, she still felt her soulmate, but when she perished, she knew immediately, did not need the authorities to inform her._

 _Now, Emily was going through the same nightmare. No Malcolm. Just emptiness. Silence. A gaping hole where all her dreams had turned to ashes. And it scared her. It deprived her of sleep, of merely a second of respite._

 _But she did not want these seconds of respite anyway, they were impossible without him._

 _He was her respite._

 _So, she found herself in between two choices:_

 _'Give up, mourn, accept, move on.' - not even on the menu._

 _Alternative: dive fully into madness, do not accept refusal, pursue even the wildest avenues of opportunity, leave no stone unturned and no road untraveled, no matter how dangerous until she found that missing piece again._

 _Without a second of doubt, Emily chose the latter option. Was there even a choice, really?!_

 _She took up the scattered pieces of her life, of her soul and used them as material to forge what she needed. If the universe was not willing to give, she would just have to become the engineer of her own destiny and claim what she wanted._

 _Yes, there was an empty space inside her soul now, a gaping hole. She felt lost, adrift... The most reasonable course of action to take as it appeared to her was to do absolutely everything to take back what was hers, step by step. Focus. Disregard the landmines, the doubt. Was it crazy? Most likely._

 _There was no other way, though._

XxXxXxX

Athena listened to her friend's musings, mesmerized by the ingenuity of the path she now saw forming in front of them, the plan Emily had already started to put in motion. Athena smiled in understanding.

"Tell me more, Hera," she encouraged. "I am ready to do my part. Tell me what you've been up to," she asked and the two women shared a look of mutual understanding as Emily nodded and reiterated her plot.

XxXxXxX

 _ **Star City, Sapphire Terraces Hotel, seven weeks after Lian Yu.**_

 _Emily woke up on a Sunday morning, performed her usual meditation to alleviate at least some of the stress she was constantly under._

 _Well, to be quite honest, she did not know what she felt. Emotions kept coming in like tidal waves. Sadness, anger, defeat, uncertainty… Sometimes they weren't emotions per-se, only a jumbled mess of missing Malcolm, a pressing urge to retaliate. She had formed a plan, which meant going way beyond where she had ever gone before, doing things she'd never even imagined herself doing. She was alone in this, for now. Time would come when she'd clue in Sabrina and their associates, time to contact Athena and the rest of the Thanatos Guild members._

 _Now, she needed to focus on the task at hand: Oliver Queen and his pest of a team. His stint at the college she'd attended provided her with the perfect way 'in'. She had called him up a few days earlier, told him she was back from Japan and wanted to reconnect with an old friend. Oliver was open to the idea and they agreed to meet at the Sapphire Terraces Hotel's famous cocktail bar._

 _Emily adjusted her silver and black dress, exited the elevator of the hotel and walked into the lobby._

 _"Oliver, hi!" she hailed the man who just entered. She was perfect at hiding her emotions. All she really wanted to do was gut him, but a friendly grin replaced the hunter-like grimace of bloodlust._

 _"Emily!" He smiled. "I'm so glad you reached out to me, it's been ages. What have you been up to?"_

 _Emily faked a smile. "Oh, I was traveling a lot, exploring, working with my Dad at Carson Motors…. Let's get a table, shall we?" She waved at the waiter and ordered two martinis._

 _They settled down in the VIP section._

 _"Well, Emily, you are quite the legend here… Drinking the bar owner under the table years ago," Oliver chuckled._

 _"What can I say, he boasted too much of his alcohol consumption prowess, didn't he?" Emily chuckled as well._

 _"Yeah, he did, and you proved him wrong," Oliver confirmed._

 _"That's what I do. Prove people wrong," Emily said in a slightly darker tone and took a sip of her martini._

 _"So what brings you here at this particular time, Ems?" Oliver asked._

 _Emily had a perfect response to this. "Star City has always been my home, despite of what's been happening to it. I've decided to keep my distance when the crazy started to come in. God knows I've had enough to deal with after my mother died several years ago."_

 _Oliver swallowed thickly. "I'm so sorry, Emily, I didn't even know. It must have been difficult."_

 _"Oliver... Don't apologize, you've been through a lot in recent years as well. Your dad, the island, your mom. The press have been brutal, vulgarizing it all like that. But here you are, the Mayor! So, congrats on this." She clinked her glass with him._

 _"It's not all that it's cut out to be," Oliver sighed. "Mostly, it's just more and more problems every day."_

 _Emily knew how to proceed._

 _"I think I know what you mean. Several months after my mother died, it turned out that burying myself in work wasn't the best way to deal with my grief, so I turned to sports. Self-defense classes, some martial arts… I found that a good session with a punchbag or some sparring does wonders for one's mood, you know," she exaggerated her sigh._

 _Then she went for the big emotional guns. "Oliver, I sometimes wish to just... turn back time, be free, with no documents to fill, no urgent emails or phonecalls to return. I just want to be able to go to the beach, relax… But I can't. There is always something… And I wish I could help in here, somehow... make a difference, you know," she sighed in frustration._

 _"Those explosions, attacks on your mayorship, those violent people, drug dealers, all this madness... I barely recognize Star City. When I decided to return here, my dad told me he is against it, unless we come up with a viable plan on how to stay safe. He is afraid, Oliver."_

 _"Did you know Malcolm Merlyn?" Oliver asked._

 _Loaded question._

 _"Yes. Tommy's father, famous for the Undertaking and destroying most of the Glades years ago, what of him?_

 _"He survived the Undertaking, Emily."_

 _Emily hid the fact she knew it as best she could._

 _"What?! Whoa!" she managed, then gestured for the waiter to bring them something stronger to drink._

 _"Oliver, what the hell?" She turned on the boy, making the most of her pretend shock._

 _"He was the Dark Archer," Oliver said and explained his relationship with Malcolm, their story, down to the Lian Yu debacle._

 _Emily remembered the sounds of the explosion, the sounds of when she lost Malcolm._

 _'You have no idea how much I lost then, Mr Queen,' her mind spoke mutely, her gaze the only thing conveying what she truly felt. Then she realized how much emotional turmoil Oliver himself must be in to spill the beans about being the Vigilante to her so quickly._

 _"Emily?" Oliver queried when she said nothing for a while._

 _She took a deep breath, knowing she could not let her emotions get the better of her._

 _"Well, that's... a lot to take in, Oliver. You're the Green Arrow and Malcolm was the leader of the League of Assassins… But, in the end he… helped you and saved his daughter, didn't he?" Emily said, her voice too weak for her liking._

 _"Yes, and multiple other lives, including my fiancee's."_

 _"Ooh, Felicity Smoak, right? The news is quite abuzz about you two. I must admit, I'm surprised. Famous playboy Oliver Queen finally popped the question! Have you set a date?"_

 _"No, not yet," he replied._

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Well, I'm the mayor and have to deal with a gazillion of things in that capacity, then there's the clandestine Green Arrow part, and I'm trying to get to know my son..."_

 _Emily nodded. "Ah, yes, William. How is he dealing with the loss of his mother? Must be tough."_

 _Oliver sighed. "Oh, it is. Sometimes I don't even know how to take care of myself, let alone a teenage boy. How about you, Emily? Anyone special in your life?"_

 _Emily felt her heart accelerate. "There was...IS someone, but it's complicated. Things are kind of in a ...limbo right now."_

 _"Ems, if you feel he is the one, then you should go for it," Oliver said._

 _"Oh, I fully intend to. Wild horses won't stop me from getting what I want," she said in a fierce, dark tone._

 _She noticed Oliver's curious expression and fell back to the happy-go-lucky persona he used to know her as._

 _"Now, let's stop reminiscing like old pensioners and have some fun! Or have you forgotten the Wild Emily?!" She exclaimed._

 _Oliver smiled in spite of himself. "Yeah, you were always a wild one, Ems."_

 _"And I insist on being one!" Emily exaggerated her faux enthusiasm, then continued, "So. You are the Green Arrow, have a team, and there is another enemy threatening you."_

 _'Without Malcolm to bail you out this time,' she thought but kept it to herself._

 _"Well, that about sums it up," Oliver said._

 _"Hmmm," Emily sighed, the gears in her mind going into overdrive. "Star City is definitely not the joyful party center I remember," she sighed._

 _Oliver sighed as well, then took a gulp of his drink._

 _"None of it is as it seems, Ems," he said resignedly._

 _"Ok, let's stop this now or we will turn into total downers, Queen!" She exclaimed. "You've got a fiancee, a son and you're sitting here with me, reminiscing about old times, spouting fear as regards the future!" Emily shoved another drink a him."What happened to being wild and free, making a change?"_

 _Upbeat music started to play and Emily pulled him onto the dancefloor._

 _"Come on, we only live once, Ollie, show me those 'college moves'! Yes, that's how we do it, loosen up!"_

 _Oliver smiled and let her contagious enthusiasm pull him in. The only thing he wasn't quite up for was certain break-dance moves one of the songs required._

 _"Ouch, ouch, enough, I concede, Ems. You sure are more fit, ouch! What kinda dancing is that?!_

 _Emily smiled, pulled him closer and swayed with him to a calm, soothing melody as the music changed._

 _"Well, we all need to be prepared for the extremes, but this is supposed to help us relax, don't worry."_

 _"You've learned some moves, Emily." Oliver said as they danced slowly._

 _"I've had to. One of the things my mother's death taught me is that one really needs to seize the moment, live each day as if it were their last. I thought of you, we used to be friends in college and so much crazy has been going on in our lives recently… But, in view of what you yourself are going through, juggling your mayorship and being the Green Arrow, I understand if you don't need my drama…"_

 _"Emily, Ems…' Oliver stopped her. "Drama is par for the course in this life, I understand, don't worry about it. As it comes to Malcolm, we sort of mended fences before…"_

 _Emily nodded, the injustice of it all crashing down on her._

 _"Before he stepped on the mine for his daughter, like you said." Her eyes teared up. "It's heavy, Oliver. He'd done so many awful things, but in the end… He loved her, he did what was right." She could not stop the tears from coming. Oliver led her back towards their table and hugged her briefly._

 _"He did," Oliver confirmed._

 _Emily disentangled herself from him, took a huge gulp of her drink and sat back down."Well, it's a new day everyday, and new threats are upon us, constantly."_

 _"Emily, I think this is when YOU come in." Oliver said._

 _She looked at him, shocked._

 _"Me?!"_

 _"Yes, you. I mean, you have the background in humanitarian outreach, the Carson name, untainted by scandal. You've never been entangled with the Green Arrow stuff, you are the fresh beginning! And I could really use some advice."_

 _Emily needed only a few seconds to think about it. Christmas came early this year. She was in. Able to manipulate the Arrow himself? Heck to the yeah!_

 _"This sounds perfect. Tell me everything, Oliver."_

 _"I think it's better if I show you," he said as he stood up, reaching for his wallet, but she waved him off._

 _"Don't worry about that, Oliver. I've instructed the concierge to put it all on the Carson Motors tab."_

 _Oliver nodded and led her to his car._

XxXxXxX

"I must say I'm impressed, Hera," Athena said, taking a sip of her wine. "You got Oliver Queen to admit to being the Vigilante and show you his lair all in one evening."

"Well, what can I say, it's my inherent Carson charm," Emily chuckled. "Seriously, though, he was really screwed up emotionally by whatever Adrian Chase did to him and in a bind with regards to the new problems that were mounting in front of him. Mix that with alcohol and a shoulder to cry on, and voila!"

"So, what happened next?"

"He introduced me to Felicity, William and Thea."

"That must have been weird for you," Athena said.

"Yes. The most difficult part was not strangling Thea on the spot, but I managed, somehow. They were mistrustful of me at first, but Oliver explained our history and we ended up sharing funny Oliver stories over drinks. Aside from that, William is a sweet kid and Felicity was very impressed when she discovered my favorite online multiplayer game is the same as hers."

"Well, that's something I have no idea about," Athena admitted.

"Anyway, we met frequently over the next few months. During the day I saw mostly Thea and she'd pepper me with questions on corporate politics and the like, sometimes ask for advice on how to deal with the press. She actually read up on me and Carson Motors after the first meeting..." Emily paused for a moment, her breath hitching slightly. "You know, Athena, there were moments when she really reminded me of Malcolm. Sometimes it was simply the way she glared at a city hall employee that screwed up, sometimes it was the tone of her voice, or a metaphor she used that I know she could only have learned from him. And I… I kept waiting for her to mention him. I mean… She knew Oliver had told me everything, so I thought maybe she'd open up to me…"

"She never did?" Athena asked.

"Not in the way I'd wanted. It was only by accident that she'd mentioned him once, while we were discussing business strategies. She said, 'Malcolm always told me that…' and I honestly don't remember what it was, I became too focused on the fact that even after he sacrificed himself for her, she couldn't bring herself to call him her father. I hightailed it from the office very fast then, pretending I had an important meeting, cause if I'd stayed, I might have really hurt her or blown my cover some other way."

"And Oliver?" Athena queried.

"I actually did some babysitting for him with William, when both him and Felicity were occupied. I have no clue about dealing with teenagers, so we just watched some movies and I made sure he didn't stay up past his bedtime.

"Oliver and I often sparred in the evenings. We both needed to blow off steam; him after dealing with shady politicians, me after dealing with his sister. And as a bonus, I got to feel him out as an opponent, note his strengths and weaknesses. Then, one day, he asked me for help on a mission..."

XxXxXxX

 _ **Star City, Oliver's Green Arrow Lair, 11 weeks after Lian Yu.**_

 _"Whoa, where did you learn that?" Oliver panted after Emily disarmed him with a combination of a maneuver her father had shown her and a Hop Gar trick she'd learned from Malcolm._

 _"Um, it's something I kinda came up with during my training in Japan," she lied smoothly, taking a sip of her water. "There was this guy at the school that I couldn't hack and he was awfully smug about it. It pissed me off, so during one of the duels, I decided to just wing it. I had no idea what I was doing, but it worked."_

 _Oliver chuckled. "Must have bruised his ego."_

 _"Well, my father wouldn't have made me the COO of his company if I was afraid of bruising someone's ego from time to time. Is yours bruised now?" She raised an eyebrow playfully._

 _" I'd like to think I'm bigger than that," Oliver replied._

 _"MEN," Emily sighed and shook her head. "Then again, I must admit I've encountered women with egos that could rival any male."_

 _"Oh, can you introduce me to some of them?"_

 _"Easy there, Ollie. Remember you're engaged. Besides, I know from experience that a puffed-up ego usually hides a mountain of insecurities."_

 _"You're right," Oliver agreed. "And speaking of bruises - after that maneuver of yours, I will definitely develop one on my shin."_

 _Emily chuckled. "Oops! Okay, let's hit the showers."_

 _Oliver took a sip of his water, his demeanor growing serious. "Emily, there's something I would like to talk to you about after we get cleaned up. Unless you have plans?"_

 _Emily looked up at him. Even if she had had any plans they might as well be considered cancelled. She sensed that whatever Oliver was about to talk to her about was worth hearing. "No, not tonight. I'm free to talk."_

 _Half an hour later, Emily entered the main room of Oliver's lair. He was already standing near one of the couches by the coffee table, pouring them both a glass of whiskey._

 _He handed her the glass, then motioned for her to sit down._

 _"Well, this must be some very heavy topic you need to talk to me about if you need whiskey for it," she said._

 _"It's actually a favor. Um… As you most likely noticed, my team is not what it used to be, but I need to go do my Vigilante stuff tonight and I could use your help."_

 _Emily actually did take a sip of her whiskey then. "Uuuh, you need me in a... vigilante capacity?"_

 _"Yes. You clearly have the skills, and… it would be just a simple 'patrol the streets for criminals' thing. I feel I need this, to just … do something good, return to where I started." He paused. "I know, I'm being stupid, you don't even have a costume."_

 _Something in his voice moved her. There was something broken inside of him and she couldn't ignore it._

 _"Hey," she put her hand on his arm. "It's not stupid to want to do something good and in case you don't remember, I OWNED Star City's masquerade balls back in college. I still have some shops on speed dial. How much time do we have to prepare?"_

 _"Three hours."_

 _"More than enough," Emily said as she whipped out her phone. "Hi, Nicole, it's Emily. Yeah, I know, it's been ages. Listen, I need a costume for tonight, got a… last minute party thing, could you help me out? Great. Yeah, same size as always." Emily launched into explaining what she needed and disconnected. An hour later, she went out to meet the delivery person a block away from Oliver's lair, then returned and ran straight to the bathroom to change._

 _When she emerged, she was wearing leather trousers and a knee length leather coat - all black with some metallic studs. She also sported a black, curly wig and an eye mask similar to his._

 _"Will that be okay?" she asked._

 _"Uh, um, yeah, more than okay. Now, codenames. Shit, I hate that part," Oliver said._

 _"Well, I can be... Aria and you can be... Vernon?"_

 _"Alright, I guess. How the hell did you come up with them so fast?!"_

 _"I read a lot. Those are character names from books."_

 _"Okay then," he said, then gave her a commlink and instructed her on how to use it. She didn't need it, but had to pretend to listen to maintain her cover. "Let's go, Aria."_

 _They slipped out through a hidden exit into a back alley. Oliver shot a griphook arrow from his bow, then put his arm around her waist and they zipped upwards onto a roof, then moved to another and another, until they were in the Glades, of all places._

 _"Whoa," Emily exclaimed, pretending to be impressed. "That was a rush."_

 _Oliver gave a brief chuckle, then his demeanor switched to very serious, almost strict, as if she was one of his new recruits. "Okay, now, you go west, I go east. You notice something out of the ordinary, alert me immediately and the same goes for me. Understood?"_

 _"Understood."_

 _Emily traversed the streets, armed only with a dagger. Everything seemed quiet, except for a few drunkards here and there, singing loudly and littering the already dirty back alleys with empty liquor bottles. ' This is getting boring,' she thought, wishing she could have taken her own bow with her and zip from rooftop to rooftop. But she could not do that because again, she needed to maintain her damn cover. What she could do, however, was count the blocks she passed. Her own primitive form of GPS._

 _She walked on, then suddenly noticed that the metal doors in the building across the street were slightly ajar, light streaming out onto the pavement. There were sounds coming from the inside and she tiptoed closer to identify them._

 _"N-no, please, don't, I'm sorry," came a woman's voice._

 _"Too late for sorry, babe, you need to pay up now."_

 _"Please, I will do better next time,"_

 _Emily peeped inside. It was a basketball court and a woman in sports clothing was being pinned down by a tall muscled goon to one of the front row seats._

 _Emily withdrew slightly and clicked on her commlink. "Vernon, I got something and you better get here, fast."_

 _There was a crackle and then she heard Oliver's voice. "Give me your location, Aria."_

 _Emily looked up at the decrepid neon sign above the door. "Bernie's Basketball, seven blocks from where we landed. Hurry!"_

 _"I'll be there in a few," Oliver panted, clearly already zipping across the rooftops._

 _Emily peaked in again and saw that the man was still pinning the woman down with one hand, while tying to undo his belt with the other._

 _"Don't worry babe, you'll pay up tonight and do better next time. It will hurt a little, but think of it as motivation."_

 _Emily's blood boiled inside her veins at these words and she kicked the door fully open._

 _"How about you get some motivation from ME, douchebag?" She growled and stepped into the basketball court._

 _The man turned around and regarded her with a lecherous smile. "Ooh, what do we have here? Another one of those vigilante wannabe dress-up freaks? Hey, boys, come out and look at this," he said and figures started to emerge from the shadowy corners of the hall._

 _"How many are there?" came Oliver's voice on the commlink._

 _"Seven, including their boss," Emily murmured as she adjusted her stance and looked around._

 _"Shit," Oliver swore under his breath, but Emily blocked him out, focusing on her strategy. One dagger would only get her so far, but she remembered Malcolm's training: 'Make your opponents' numbers become your advantage. Use your surroundings.' It felt as if he was there with her._

 _"Want to play ball, boys? I like the game, let's play!" she taunted and sprinted towards a net container that held the spare balls. She whipped out her dagger and severed the net. The balls spilled out onto the court, bouncing around and confusing her attackers. Emily sacrificed her dagger by throwing it at the goons' boss, who tried to take advantage of the commotion and have his way with the woman he was pinning down. The dagger lodged itself in his thigh and he fell to the floor whimpering._

 _"RUN!" Emily yelled at the woman. She grabbed her backpack and did as she was told._

 _"I'm here!" Oliver shouted, but before he could notch his arrow, he was thrown to the ground by a hefty man in a suit that emerged from the locker room._

 _'Awesome,' Emily thought as she caught one of the balls and dribbled it, focusing on one of the men, who clearly wanted to take her on, while the others struggled to catch the other bouncing balls and Oliver obliterated half a row of seats by kicking the hefty surprise attacker away. The man seemed indestructible because he stood right up and threw himself at Oliver again._

 _Emily turned back to her opponent and performed a maneuver that never happened during any of her combat training, but in highschool, and it wasn't even a maneuver. It was a sucker punch. Instead of passing the ball to her teammate, the opponent Emily had attempted to block threw the ball straight at her face, breaking her nose, which resulted in Emily having to undergo corrective surgery in order to breathe properly again._

 _Emily pretended that she noticed an ally she could pass the ball to, looked over her opponent's shoulder, then threw the ball straight at his face. Blood spurted from the man's nose; he yowled in pain and keeled over, tripping up his ally, who saw what was happening and tried to come to his rescue. They ended up in a heap on the floor._

 _Emily caught another ball and turned to face her next opponent. He was huge, definitely taller than Michael Jordan._

 _"Uh-oh!" she exclaimed and threw a glance at Oliver, who finally had the fatty in a chokehold, only the choking was taking much longer because of he man's massive neck. Oliver threw her an apologetic grimace of a smile and tightened his grip._

 _Emily turned back to the giant in front of her, noting that the remaining four were regrouping to attack._

 _There was no time to analyze the situation. She put the ball in front of her chest like a shield, then kicked the giant in the crotch with the heel of her boot. He folded like a deck of cards, mewling and writhing on the floor._

 _Oliver's jaw dropped. The man he'd held in his chokehold went limp in his arms, but the Vigilante was too shocked at what he'd observed of Emily's fighting to react properly._

 _"Take your time,Vernon, by all means!" Emily shouted as she caught another ball. She was standing in the middle of the court, facing the remaining four opponents._

 _Oliver managed to wriggle out from under the unconscious man that had attacked him and started to crawl towards his bow, but his right leg had fallen asleep and he was moving with the speed of a snail._

 _Emily threw another glance at him, then just screamed like a banshee and started running towards her opponents. She performed a two-step shot, using one of the men's outstretched arms as a springboard to jump over them and sink the ball into the basket._

 _She let go of the rim and landed gracefully, then heard the whooosh of the air as arrow after arrow lodged itself in the men that were still standing and trying to close in on her._

 _"Finally!" She spat at Oliver as she straightened herself up._

 _"You said there were seven!" Oliver exclaimed. "There was an eighth one! And he was frikking HUGE!"_

 _"Whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better," Emily said. She retrieved her dagger from the thigh of the unconscious wannabe rapist, fished out a cellphone from his jacket pocket and dialed 911. She gave the emergency responder the address and dropped the phone next to the man. Oliver noticed she was still wearing her leather gloves._

 _They went out onto the street. Oliver notched his griphook arrow and they zipped across rooftops again, back to the lair._

 _Emily removed her mask and wig, then peeled off her leather coat and dropped onto the couch._

 _Oliver ran to the fridge and came back with two bottles of beer. Emily took a gulp of hers and sighed in contentment._

 _"Emily, what the hell was that?! Where did you.. How did you… I mean, wh-"_

 _"I played basketball in highschool. I was drafted to represent Canada. Our team won the World Youth Championship Cup in 2003. And trust me when I tell you, women's basketball is ten times more brutal than men's. You can expect a bitchslap even from your own teammates."_

 _"Oh," Oliver managed._

 _"Yeah, 'oh'," Emily mocked. "You better have a masseuse on speed dial, Mayor Queen, cause I'm going to have major muscle ache in about uuuh, now? This was supposed to be an 'uneventful patrol', Oliver."_

 _"Well, Emily, like I told you, Star City has changed."_

 _"Everything's changed," Emily sighed as she put her bottle down on the table and settled more comfortably on the couch. "But some changes, I really do hate."_

XxXxXxX

Athena was stifling her chuckles while she listened to Emily's story, then finally burst out laughing.

"You really asked the Green Arrow for a masseuse?!"

"Not that he provided me with one. I wasn't serious anyway," Emily shrugged.

Athena laughed some more. "Using balls as a weapons, well, that's quite unorthodox. Wish I could have seen that."

"Yeah, it probably looked like a Jackie Chan movie, only with costumes," Emily smiled. "Malcolm always taught me to not only be aware of my surroundings during combat, but also to use them to my advantage, so I did. Oh God, Athena, I miss him so much!"

"Me too. But tell, me, Hera, why did you stay in Star City so long and befriended Oliver Queen?"

"Pretend-befriended. I… Cannot say my decision was logical, at first. I think there were many reasons. I almost completely lost it after Lian Yu, and I was beyond furious with Oliver and Thea, but… Malcolm always thought of Oliver as a son, and well, Thea is his blood, so in a twisted way, being close to her meant being closer to Malcolm.

"Also, I was naive enough to think she might eventually express some sort of regret that he was gone, some appreciation for his sacrifice."

"Didn't she give Oliver grief for telling you everything?"

"Surprisingly, no. It was as if she didn't care one way or the other, like his existence or whether anyone knew about it didn't even matter. And I didn't trust myself to bring it up, because if she started berating him, which was very likely, I would have snapped, Merlyn blood or not."

Athena nodded.

"I always intended to return to the Guild to continue working on what Malcolm started. And while my biggest plan wasn't fully formed yet, I needed my time there, with them, to know what I'd be up against, should I find a way to execute it."

"So, how did you make you exodus from Oliver Queen's posse?"

"I was never in his posse, Athena. And he made my 'exodus' very easy…"

XxXxXxX.

 ** _Star City, Oliver's Green Arrow Lair, 16 weeks after Lian Yu._**

 _Emily entered the lair late afternoon, after Oliver had asked her to give William a lift to his extracurricular activities at the Star City Youth Club. He was running late because of some impromptu meeting at the city hall and Felicity was busy working on some project with Curtis._

 _She sat on the couch for a while, but she was getting bored. She knew she couldn't go snooping in the lair's computer systems; Felicity would probably be alerted if she so much touched a single button on the keyboard. Emily changed into her sports gear and started exercising her moves. Some kick boxing, some Krav Maga, some sequences she made up on he own, combining them with elements of Hop Gar. When she got bored of that, she decided to try herself on Oliver's salmon ladder. It was quite a challenge, but pretty soon she got the hang of it._

 _She was just taking a break to drink some water when she heard the door to the lair opening. She expected it to be Oliver, but when she turned around and looked at the man before her, she almost dropped the bottle._

 _"Slade Wilson," she choked out, immediately readying her muscles for battle, despite trying to look non-threatening. Frikking Slade Wilson. Why couldn't he have stepped on some mine instead of Malcolm?_

 _He regarded her for a while, then asked, "And you are?_

 _"Emily Carson."_

 _"What are you doing here, Emily Carson, and how do you know my name?" Slade asked in a low tone, veiled with threat._

 _Emily loosened her stance to show him he didn't scare her. "Oliver told me everything. I'm here on business and to reconnect with old friends. Oliver and I went to college together for a while. He's running late because of some stuff at the mayor's office. I can give him a message if you don't feel like hanging around and waiting,"_

 _"Oh, I don't mind waiting, Emily. So, are you the newest member of his team?"_

 _Emily couldn't stop herself from snorting. "No, I'm just hanging around with an old friend in the city I grew up in."_

 _"You have the stance of a trained warrior," Slade observed._

 _"Yes, I dabble in martial arts," Emily said dismissively. "Helps me relieve the stress of corporate life. Besides, it the times we live in, one should always be prepared."_

 _Slade regarded her with another mysterious expression._

 _"Do you use only hand-to hand combat or maybe some weapons?"_

 _"Yes, but the more… traditional ones, like swords and daggers. Firearms is more of my father's thing."_

 _Slade went up to the cupboard that held Oliver's weapons. "Shall we have a little friendly duel while we wait for Oliver to come back?" He suggested._

 _Emily managed not to snort at the word 'friendly'. "I can't see why not, Mr Wils-"_

 _"Call me Slade,Oliver's friend."_

 _"Call me Emily, since you've already started anyway. "_

 _"So, what's your weapon of choice?" Slade queried._

 _Emily looked at the arsenal gathered there and picked up a sabre with red and white ornaments on its hilt._

 _"It was the traditional weapon of the Polish nobility, before our empire was cut to bits by Russia, Austria and Prussia."_

 _"Your empire?" Slade lifted an eyebrow._

 _"I'm Polish by birth, but my family decided to immigrate here when I was a child in order to avoid the mistakes that were being made there again, hundreds of years after the partitions of Poland, despite the fact that even the enemies are circling over our country."_

 _"So, you chose exile instead of fighting?"_

 _"Not exile. Merely a search for stronger allies to defeat those that need to be eradicated, or our country, the very center of Europe, will never rise to its full potential again."_

 _"Quite a goal you've set out for yourself, Emily."_

 _"One of many. I like to keep busy," Emily said as she unsheathed her sabre. "So, shall we have that duel or not?"_

 _"Certainly," Slade replied and picked up a weapon for himself._

 _For a second there, Emily thought it was madness to take Deathstroke up on his offer, but she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. Oliver had recruited Slade to help him against Adrian Chase despite the fact that he had killed his mother. Superficially, the same might be said about Malcolm, but Malcolm didn't directly run a sword through Robert Queen, the man chose to take his own life. And yes, Slade was under the effects of the Mirakuru back then and not in his right mind, but who could say Malcolm's grief over Rebecca hadn't altered his mind like a physical poison would? Aside from that, Malcolm was family, Slade was not and Malcolm continuously helped Oliver throughout the years despite being scorned and rejected. He didn't have to be recruited to go to Lian Yu, he volunteered. And no matter how similar their situations were, Oliver always chose someone else over Malcolm, be it Slade, his own wounded ego, or even frikking Nyssa. There was also a totally irrational reason for Emily to hate Slade, although, to her grieving mind it seemed perfectly plausible: Slade had survived Lian Yu, Malcolm had not._

 _She attacked him with a viciousness that rivaled a berserker. She wasn't afraid he would be suspicious of her anger. As an 'old friend' of Oliver's, whom he had told 'everything', she had every right to feel hostile towards him and express it in a very violent way. They went at it for a long time, Emily giving no ground, even managing to make Slade lose his footing for a moment, and making him withdraw and regroup in order to avoid being disarmed._

 _"Not so invincible now, without the Mirakuru, huh, Deathstroke?" She allowed herself a quip and they continued to fight._

 _"What the hell is going on here?!" Oliver's voice stopped the opponents in their tracks and they just stood there, breathing heavily, looking at the Green Arrow as he entered the training space._

 _"Nothing special, just a little duel to pass the time while we were waiting for you," Emily panted. Speaking of time, I'm going to be late for a meeting, so I need to run. Oh and I guess you and your 'friend' have a lot to discuss anyway." She shoved the sabre at Oliver, grabbed her jacket and backpack and exited the lair before Oliver could regain his ability to speak._

 _Emily returned to her room at the Sapphire Terraces and hit the shower immediately. She was shaking and hurt, tears streaming down her face as the injustice of it all smashed into her yet again. The gaping hole she felt inside after losing Malcolm seemed even more hollow. She went out of the shower, got dressed and poured herself a drink._

 _Suddenly, all the kinks in her plan, all the obstacles seemed clear and surmountable. It all fell into place. Perhaps she had needed the anguish and shock to snap her out of her stupor and finally start acting. She took out her satphone and punched in the coded number to establish a heavily encrypted connection._

 _"Hello, it's me. You told me to call you when I was ready to proceed with the first stage. I am and I wanted to know if your offer still stands. Good. I will contact you when I have acquired the necessary items."_

 _She disconnected and looked out the window of her penthouse suite. The glittering lights of Star City seemed less bright now. Because HE was gone. Despite all the claims laid on it by various madmen and villains, even after he was banished from here, despite the pain it caused him, it was still Malcolm Merlyn's city: STARLING. No pompous name-change would ever make it any less so._

XxXxXxX

 ** _Star City, Sapphire Terraces Hotel, several days later._**

 _Emily returned from a meeting in the Star City branch of her father's company, dropped her keycard on the table by the door and switched on the light. She jumped when she saw the figure sitting in an armchair by a chest of drawers._

 _"Oliver, what the hell are you doing here?!" She exclaimed._

 _"If you picked up your phone once in a while, you'd know," he quipped._

 _"And you should already know that if someone doesn't answer your calls and doesn't call back, it means they just don't want to talk to you," Emily said, putting her laptop back on the desk._

 _"What happened Emily? Is this about Slade?" Oliver asked._

 _"Damn straight, this is about Slade! The man killed your mother and you invited him on Lian Yu to save Thea, as if he was your best friend! Now he drops by for a friendly visit to your lair?!_

 _"His son is in trouble in Kasnia and he came to me for help," Oliver admitted._

 _"Oh, and of course, you're going to do it?"_

 _"Yes. He helped me save William," Oliver said levelly._

 _"So, it's quid pro quo between you two now, isn't it?" Emily mocked. "It makes me wonder about something, though. If Malcolm Merlyn were alive and in some sort of trouble right now, would you do the same for him? He did save your sister and your fiancee, not to mention that, from what you told me, he's helped you countless times before."_

 _"My relationship with Slade and with Malcolm are quite different." Oliver protested._

 _"I agree, because you are a hypocrite who picks and chooses whom to forgive and help and whom to abandon and keep using whenever convenient," Emily spat angrily.._

 _"Emily, where is this coming from? Who the hell is Malcolm Merlyn to you that you suddenly jump to his defense?"_

 _Emily knew she had to tread carefully here. "My father knew him before what happened to Rebecca, and I wasn't clueless as a teenager. Loss can change you, twist you, make you do things you later regret," she said. "I did a lot of questionable stuff after my mother died, things I would undo without hesitation if I ever got the chance to."_

 _"Emily, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you with that.' Oliver sat next to her on the couch._

 _"See, you didn't mean to and yet you_ did, _cause that's what you do, Oliver." Her spiteful tone reminded him way too much of Adrian Chase._

 _Oliver's gaze fell onto a fully packed, opened suitcase in the corner. "Emily, are you leaving? Because...Because of what happened with Slade?"_

 _"I was planning on leaving anyway. I have business to attend to in other places, but I'd be lying if I said Mr Wilson's appearance didn't expedite my departure."_

 _"So does that mean we're not friends anymore?" Oliver asked with a hint of regret in his voice._

 _"No, it doesn't," Emily said. "It just makes me feel more aware of the kind of person you are,and if I may offer any advice it's that you think really hard before you start giving out or withholding forgiveness from people who wronged you, and try to not to look at everyone through the prism of your grudges before you make decisions. Try to notice and recognize the good in people, because when something is ignored or belittled all the time, it eventually disappears."_

 _She zipped up her suitcase, packed her laptop and moved towards the door._

 _"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch."_

 _He nodded and followed her out and into the elevator. In the lobby, Emily turned towards him for a moment. "Oliver, whatever was said here, my offer of helping you with your problems in Star City still stands."_

 _"So, I'm off your phone's blacklist?" Oliver managed a weak smile._

 _"Yes, you are. If I don't answer right away, feel free to leave me a message and I will get to it as soon as I can. Now I really have to go."_

 _Oliver approached her and gave her a brief hug. "Take care, Emily.'_

 _"You too, and say hi to William, Felicity and Thea from me."_

 _"I will."_

 _He watched as Emily exited the hotel, got into her towncar and drove away._

XxXxXxX

 _ **The Labyrinth, Thanatos Guild secret compound, Hindu Kush Mountains, early spring 2018**_

"I must admit I admire your willpower, Hera. Had I been in the same situation with Oliver Queen and Slade, I'm not certain I would be able to show similar restraint, if any at all," Athena said when Emily finished her narrative.

"To be quite honest, I wasn't sure either. There were many moments when I almost lost it. That's why I'm glad I didn't push the subject with Thea. I was afraid her reaction would make me go ballistic," Emily admitted. "But, I didn't go there only for the purpose of reconnaissance. When I wasn't with either of them, I was starting to put some things in motion that might soon bear fruit."

"Those 'aces up your sleeve' you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm here now. In order to proceed with what I have in mind, I first need to take a look at the progress the Guild has made with our projects since Malcolm's and my departure."

"I'm afraid it has been meager at best," Athena sighed.

"Meager is better than none at all," Emily reassured her.

"Well, then let's go to the library."

Emily looked at the desk, still littered with books and stacks of paper.

"Kahlan, El-Meyim and I picked up where you left off. Here are the notes you and Al Saher made before you left, below is what we were able to find as regards each of the elements of the projects and here, we have all the material that is incomplete and requires books that are now unreachable in the Nanda Parbat fortress," Athena explained.

"Unless she destroyed them, like she did with the Pit," Emily said in a bitter voice.

"From what I know, the bulk of the research and the most ancient tomes were hidden in a secluded chamber of whose existence Nyssa doesn't even know."

"Let us hope so," Emily said. "But what we have here still provides us with a certain advantage. Combined with the knowledge the allies I am bringing along possess, these will also soon be ours."

"Shall I have one of our men bring Kahlan and El-Meyim so we can proceed with the research?" Athena asked.

"No, we will not be playing with puzzles and guesswork any longer, locked inside these walls. You and I are going on a quest of our own," Emily announced.

"A quest? Where to?"

"To where it all ended and when it will all begin again," Emily said with a dark smile and a steely tone entered her voice. "Lian You."

XxXxXxX

 **Author's Note:** _Here it comes, the action is ready to start!  
_


	3. Shadows and Ashes

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Shadows and Ashes**

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Angst and adventure, enjoy and please REVIEW:)_

XxXxXxX

 _ **The Labyrinth, Thanatos Guild secret compound, Hindu Kush Mountains, early spring 2018**_

"Lian Yu?!" Athena exclaimed in surprise. "But it's nothing more than a wasteland now! What could we possibly accomplish there?!"

"The crucial first step to what I have in mind," Emily said. "Let me explain. You know I am Polish by birth, and that I have been familiar with the supernatural from an early age. Even though I have branched out to the magic of other cultures, the Slavic sorcery flows deep inside my core.

"After I untangled myself from Oliver's 'posse', I traveled back to Poland and contacted several like-minded scholars and practitioners of the Occult. We spent countless nights and days, poring through ancient books, dictionaries, grimoires...

"You see, Athena, one of the many traditions in that part of the world used to be that the dead, whether they were corpses, skeletons, or ashes, would be buried in containers, and mounds of earth would be raised above, called 'kurhany' in Polish, which means "barrows" or "tumuli". They were the first primitive forms of what we now call cemeteries. Certain practitioners of magic there, who opposed death, or simply refused to accept it, developed a way to separate the person they wanted to resurrect from the elements around it, and in case of mass graves, to separate them from the others. Only then could they proceed with bringing their loved ones back to life.

"Due to increasing persecution of such practices by the authorities, they eventually fell into oblivion. Accepting death as the end became the new Gospel, the rules of which were made up to suit those who chose to use this doctrine to advance themselves - clergy, politicians, certain businessmen. They would hunt down whoever possessed this knowledge, take it from them and hide it for their own use. I managed to retrieve enough information to help me concoct a spell that will separate Malcolm's ashes from the dirt and the ashes of the enemies he killed when he sacrificed himself for Thea. Only then will we be able to proceed to the next stage. Are you with me on this, Athena?"

"One hundred percent yes, Emily. If there is even the slightest chance of us getting Malcolm back, I am all in. I will start packing everything we need and tell one of the pilots to prepare a plane for us."

Emily nodded.

When Athena left, Emily's gaze fell on the desk once again. She picked up one of the research papers, filled with her handwriting, Malcolm's comments on the side. It was drafted on the day they found out Thea had been kidnapped by Adrian Chase, and Malcolm dropped everything immediately to go to Star City and join the rescue team.

XxXxXxX

 _ **The Labyrinth, Thanatos Guild secret compound, May 2017.**_

 _Emily had to almost run to match Malcolm's pace as he made his way through the Labyrinth corridors to their chamber to pack. When they reached it, Emily grabbed him by the arms and turned him towards her._

 _"Malcolm! You cannot just up and go into to the unknown, you need time to prepare! And is this really what you want to do? Your last encounter with his majesty Oliver Queen cost you leadership of the League, and even though you helped the Green Arrow defeat Damien despite what he'd done to you, he still hung you out to dry!"_

 _"Don't you think I know that, Emily?! Don't you think that after all these years of rejection and disappointment I'm going into this with any fairy tale expectations?! My purpose is clear: I want my daughter safe. And if you disapprove, you're welcome to distance yourself from it."_

 _Emily slapped him on the face then, hard. "Is that really what you think I would EVER do, Malcolm?!" She shouted. "If you're in it, I'm in it! You want it now, you'll have it now. But one condition: you're not doing this alone. Now, tell me what you need me to do."_

 _And so he did. He said he'd go meet Oliver, learn his plan and loop her in._

 _Merely a day later, Emily's satphone chirped. It was Malcolm. "Emily, Adrian Chase has Thea, and some other hostages trapped on Lian Yu. Oliver has recruited Slade, Boomerang and Nyssa to help him. I managed to convince him to let me go with them as well."_

 _"What?! They are all his not-so-former enemies, not to mention Nyssa is yours!" Emily exclaimed._

 _"I know. Just as well as I know one of them is bound to betray him. That's why I need to be there. Sabrina, Kevin and Tim will pick you up and you will arrive in a separate aircraft. Coordinates of your landing place are in a message I just sent to your phone. We will be communicating on different commlinks, based on the ones Oliver's team uses. You can only listen in and figure out what is going on from what you hear."_

 _"Understood," Emily said, then disconnected. She checked her go-bag and lay down to get some rest before the mission ahead._

 **XxXxXxX**

 _ **Lian Yu, 24th May 2017.**_

 _Emily and her team landed at the spot Malcolm had indicated without any interruptions._

 _"So far, so good," Kevin said as they traversed the forest._

 _"Don't jinx it, Kev," Sabrina warned._

 _Several minutes later, it all turned to hell._

 _Boomerang betrayed Oliver and threw in with Talia Al Ghul. Oliver asked Malcolm to lead Felicity, Samantha, Curtis and Thea to a plane while he himself went to face Chase and rescue his son. Malcolm attempted to talk to Thea, to repair their relationship, but she was having none of it._

 _And it ended exactly the way Emily wanted to avoid. Thea stepped on a mine and in order to save her, Malcolm took her place. He perished and Thea lived on, ran away to the sounds of explosion that had blown him to smithereens. Ran away to defy everything he stood for._

 **XxXxXxX**

 _ **Lian Yu, March 2018**_

Emily and Athena walked through what once used to be a forest. Still, despite the explosions, remnants of life remained. There were trees, new growth, even sounds of animals which had survived. Silence reigned between the two women, each of them consumed by their own thoughts and emotions. Emily remembered the last time she was here. She'd walked these same woods as part of Malcolm's secret support team, because the Dark Archer, quite correctly, suspected at least one of Oliver's so-called allies would betray him. She remembered the shade of the trees, the shadows of the forest.

She stopped suddenly at the spot where she was when it all happened. Athena stopped with her, flabbergasted, asked her what was wrong, but Emily just stood there and _remembered._

 _She remembered hearing Malcolm's conversation with Thea through the commlinks._

 _She remembered the girl's hateful words towards Malcolm._

 _The click of the landmine as Thea stepped on it._

 _Malcolm's proclamation of love for his daughter after he took her place._

 _His order for her to run, shouted in a tone that brooked no objection._

 _His defiant words to his enemies as they approached._

 _The explosion Emily was too far away to stop._

 _Her own cries of agony._

 _The way she had struggled as her companions dragged her away._

 _'Ems, it's too late. Malcolm's gone. '_

 _The sound of the chopper as it carried her further and further away from him._

 **XxXxXxX**

"It's never too late," Emily said in a steely tone.

"What?" Athena asked.

"This is where I was when I heard the mine explode. My associates wouldn't let me go any further, they said it was too late," Emily explained.

Then she started on her way through the forest.

Several minutes later, the women arrived at a path, a crater in the middle of it.

"So this is where the mine... where Malcolm-?" Athena asked.

"Yes," Emily confirmed in a hollow voice.

Both of them jumped into the crater, as if on cue.

Emily looked at the scorched earth, at all the different shades of grey and black ashes could turn to.

 _"Is this all you are now, love?"_ she asked Malcolm in her thoughts.

Suddenly, she was distracted by something she saw among the trees. She turned her head in that direction and her heart skipped a beat as she beheld what seemed to be a figure of an archer, clad in League uniform, compound bow in hand. She gasped, but then the wind started blowing and the image dispersed. It was nothing but a shadow, created by the interplay of light and dark. Emily sighed in disappointment.

She turned towards Athena and saw the woman crouching in the crater, sobbing softly. She crouched next to her and put her hand gently on Athena's arm.

Athena cleared her throat.

"Hera, I never told you this. I guess it's because I was ashamed. I was brought into the League as a child, from a small village. Several years older than Nyssa, and I was a... nobody really, but I was always better at fighting than her. I bested her in duels and she took a great dislike to me, because it offended her entitled, egotistic little self. She had this posse of other young warriors, and she enjoyed bullying me. She made sure I had no friends." Athena sighed. "Who would defy a princess, the Heir to the Daemon, right?"

Emily nodded.

"She was so relentless in her persecution of me, she nearly broke me. And that's when I first met Malcolm… I mean, really met him. I knew of him and so on, he'd made quite a name for himself, rising through the League ranks in record time, putting everyone in awe, even Ra's Al Ghul himself.

"With Malcolm, I found a refuge, a place I could be away from Nyssa. One of the secluded gardens of Nanda Parbat. She never went there. So there came a day, when I was really down after one of Nyssa's pestering sessions, ready to give up and I went there to just… cry.

"And then there I saw a shadow of someone standing above me. I looked up and it was Malcolm.

"I thought I was done for, because, well, there he was, one of the most formidable League warriors, a favorite of Ra's Al Ghul, so he would definitely be Nyssa's ally, there to intimidate me, do worse to me than she ever could. Instead, he just sat next to me and asked me why I was crying, in that gentle tone of his."

Emily teared up when she heard this. She knew that tone so well, she would never forget it. It was like a melody she wanted to listen to over and over again.

Athena continued. "I told him about the bullying, about the way I was treated... I was almost in hysterics. And then he put his hand on my arm and sort of held me and said, _'Athena, the thing about bullies is, they do it because they feel threatened by you. They see you are better than them in some regard and they want to stifle your potential, compensate for their own insecurities or shortcomings. It's their weakness, not yours. And do you want to know the way to defeat a bully, Athena?'_ He asked me. I nodded."

 _'You keep on fighting, get better.'_

"Won't it anger them?" I asked.

 _'It will. However, you won't achieve much in life if you constantly worry about angering people.'_

"That's my Malcolm: Never give up, never give in." Emily nodded.

"Then he took me under his wing," Athena said. "And whenever Nyssa attempted one of her bullying tactics, he found a way to put her down without openly offending her. It made her very resentful towards him."

"Nyssa always had a penchant for getting resentful. As does Thea. No wonder they became friends," Emily said.

"Yes," Athena confirmed.

Athena was still crouching, still stifling her sobs. "It's such a shame. Now Malcolm is just a pile of ashes. Mixed with those of traitors, criminals and his killers."

"They won't be mingled like this for long," Emily said. "One of the spells I acquired will make sure we will retrieve them, pure and sound, to be later entered into one of the Pits to bring him back. Now, move away, so I can perform it."

Athena did as she was told.

Emily took out a small metal urn from a pocket in her armor and closed her eyes. She took off the lid and started chanting an incantation.

 _"Al Saher, Ego voco Vos!"/"Al Saher, I call upon you!"/_

At first, nothing was happening, but then a wind started to rise up.

Emily continued. _"Al Saher, Tu reditus! Vestra Essentia libera ex Congeria erit! " / Al Saher, Come back! Your Existence shall be released from the Chaos!"/_

Her complexion grew paler than snow, her voice deeper and deeper as the wind intensified and swirled around her, lifting the ashes. Emily went on with the incantation as the ashes circled the urn, then formed a huge shadow, but another shape appeared, blocking the way, trying to invade its form and trap it again.

Emily turned towards the enemy and reached out her hand, _"Cum potentia mea, ego praecipio tibi, exolvo eum ecce enim hoc momento!" / With my power, I command thee, release his essence immediately!/_

The pile of black ashes separated from the rest, circled the urn and flowed inside. Emily closed the lid and collapsed against the side of the crate.

"The ritual is complete," she gasped after a while.

"That was scary,'' Athena breathed.

"No my dear. Scary is what you will see when we enter one of the viable Pits' locations and get to fight the bitches who want to destroy them."

XxXxXxX

 **AUTHOR'S IMPORTANT NOTE:** _Welcome back after a pause. Here is the next chapter of Mythical. The spell Emily performs to separate Malcolm's ashes took some doing. I had to refresh my college Latin. Anyway, many of the next chappies are in the works! Enjoy and REVIEW, people!:)_


	4. Red

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Ashes**

 **Author's note:** _Here is the story developing, in defiance of where Arrow appeared to be going._ _They killed Malcolm- I don't accept it!_

 **Important!** _In order to fully understand this chapter it would be awesome if you also watched Legends of Tomorrow, because the plots intertwine. I did my best to explain the situation to those who don't in the narrative here, but it is worth your while to tune in :)_

 _Also, it's been a while since I updated this, blame my busy schedule, so you might want to reread the previous chapters. Unlike in my other stories they aren't freakishly long :) Ok, end of ramblings, on with the story!_

XxXxXxX

After they left the crater, Athena became quiet and withdrawn. They walked in silence through he desolate landscape. Emily held the urn with Malcolm's ashes pressed close to her chest. She could feel the mythical symbols embossed on the surface through he thick fabric of her gloves. They were infused with ancient magic, spells predating anything that could be found even in the oldest manuscripts. Emily could feel the power radiating from them and knew how dangerous and untamed that power was. Still, she did not feel afraid. If anything, she found it comforting, a buffer against the bleak reality of her life without Malcolm. Shadows dissipating in the wind…

Eventually they made their way off Lian Yu and back to the US, but Athena's mood seemed to deteriorate further. She sobbed quietly and stared off into the distance, her expression forlorn and haunted, performing her tasks like an automaton.

"Athena," Emily started in a gentle tone as they drove towards Star City. "I did not mean to hurt you or scare you with that spell."

Athena sniffed and wiped her tears away. "No, no, that's not what it is. You didn't hurt me, Hera. The people who killed Malcolm did."

Emily sighed. "You mean Oliver and Thea Queen. Because Captain Boomerang was just a pawn, in both Oliver's and Talia Al Ghul's hands. He did whatever he thought would benefit _him_ the most. He wouldn't understand loyalty if it hit him on the head with a baseball bat, that's how stupid he was. Oliver KNEW this, and yet, he recruited him to help. Which, I think, makes the Green Arrow even stupider than Harkness," Emily griped in frustration, but then she recalled how she just recently manipulated Oliver into trusting her. She could use his idiocy to her advantage. She allowed herself a brief smirk of satisfaction.

Emily parked her car in a secluded alley in one of Star City's mostly abandoned neighborhoods.

"Well, Thea Queen played a large part in what happened to Malcolm," Athena said as they exited the vehicle and made their way through a maze of badly-lit back alleys.

"Oh, don't get me started on that spoiled brat," Emily growled, her voice dripping with venom. She recalled each and every time Thea had disregarded the love and support Malcolm had shown her, giving him only pain in return, justifying her brother's and her own mistakes by pinning them on Malcolm, even after he had sacrificed his very life for her. "What kind of a daughter does that to her father?" Emily asked, her voice heavy with emotion.

"I don't know, Emily," Athena sighed.

"I do," came a female voice. "A very lousy one."

Emily turned towards the woman and the man who'd just emerged from the shadows in front of them. "Hello. Glad you could join us," she smiled. "Athena, meet Nora and Damien Dahrk."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, albeit in such grim surroundings," Athena said.

"We're here to help. Malcolm has been a good friend to my father. Emily asked me for assistance and here I am," Nora said.

Athena stared a little.

Emily explained. "Years after Oliver Queen killed Nora's father, she found a way to resurrect him. Then _I_ found her. Damien and I go way back to our time travel together when he and Malcolm started a quest to attain the Spear of Destiny. So, after what happened on Lian Yu, I reached out to Nora and Damien, hoping they could help me, and they agreed. But enough reminiscing. We have Malcolm's ashes, and a little something Damien wants in exchange for giving me a way to bring Malcolm back." She smiled. "Show you mine if you show me yours, Damien."

"This sounds like a very cliche drug exchange, Emily," Damien winked a her with a crooked smile, then opened the briefcase with the spell supplies she needed.

Emily took out an elaborately decorated, ancient-looking case and presented it to Dahrk.

He opened it slowly and examined the jewel inside with reverence. "The Xinera Diamond," he said in a tone of worship. "Good job, Miss Carson. I've wanted to acquire this item for a very long time."

"I'm glad you approve." Emily nodded. "Well then, now I guess we can proceed with the rest of our arrange-" she was cut off by the sight of several armed men approaching.

"Emily, meet some of my co-workers," Damien said in a mock cordial tone.

The men moved in and snatched the box with the diamond before Emily or Athena had time to react. Then Dahrk pushed her away from the case which held the resurrection spells.

Emily managed to regain her balance. "Damien, what the hell?! We had a deal! I gave you what you wanted, now give me the spells for validating the ashes!" she exclaimed.

"Well, what can I say, I have a penchant for double-crossing my allies, as you well know. No hard feelings, though, ok? I really did enjoy our cooperation during our quest for the Spear." Damien laughed. "Come along, Nora, darling. Let my men do their jobs. We are done here."

He turned and started to walk away slowly, reveling in the sounds of combat which exploded behind him. The fight was over quickly and silence reigned. Damien smirked.

"It's a beautiful evening, Nora, wouldn't you say?" he threw casually, certain he had won and his daughter was walking right behind him.

Silence.

"Nora?" Damien stopped and turned around, then gasped in shock. His men's crumpled forms were strewn on the ground like so many pathetic rag dolls. Emily and Athena faced him with their bows drawn, Nora stood a few paces behind them.

"We had a deal, Dahrk," Emily spat in a steely voice. Her gaze was pure ice and the tip of her arrow glinted with an otherworldly light. He had suspected she had dabbled in some magic from the moment he'd first met her years ago, but now it was beyond obvious. Still, he chose to push away his unease.

"Yes, and _I_ got what I wanted, _you_ will just have to deal. Your naivete can be quite charming sometimes, Emily. So, why don't you just lower your bow and I won't cause you any harm. I've grown quite fond of you during our Spear of Destiny days."

Emily didn't move. "Then why turn against me now? I have done nothing but help you. So has Malcolm. You know you won't benefit from my failure. Damien, do you really get SO much enjoyment out of hurting absolutely everyone that you stifle every higher feeling? I know you are capable of these. Why do you choose to ignore them?"

A flicker of doubt appeared on Damien's face, but he shook it off quickly. "It's easier that way," he said and lifted his hand, mentally chanting the incantation to choke Emily.

She just swallowed thickly and adjusted her stance, clearly managing to deflect his telekinetic power. Despite his best efforts to disarm her, she kept a firm grip on her bow. Damien persisted, knowing that sooner or later she had to give in.

"Save yourself the effort, Emily, you do not stand a chance."

Emily was in distress now, but she fought on bravely. She released her arrow suddenly and it grazed him on the shoulder, shattering his concentration. Pain exploded; it was like fire and ice combined, seeping into his veins. Damien gasped and grabbed at the wound. Emily already notched another arrow.

Damien looked up, struggling to regain his focus, then noticed Nora's eyes were glinting red. He smirked.

"Malus," he saw her mouth the name of her inner demon.

"Nora, finish them, so we can get on with our night," he said, smiling.

"I don't think so, Daddy," the girl replied in her demonic voice. "I'm quite sick and tired of you constantly bossing me around. _I want_ to help Emily."

"What?!"

"It means Nora is not going anywhere with you," Emily growled, "She stays with me. Now, hand over the spell supplies if you ever want to see her again."

The red glint in Nora's eyes intensified and Damien suddenly felt ice cold. She was putting a protective enchantment around Emily and Athena, an enchantment _against him_.

Damien just stared in shock. He dropped the parchment and the amulet, then turned around and ran.

Emily lowered her bow. She slowly picked up the items and joined Athena and Nora as they sat down on some concrete blocks in the most secluded area of the alley.

"We should get away from here, Emily,"Athena said. "Damien's bound to return with reinforcements."

"We are not going anywhere until we make Malcolm's ashes viable for the Lazarus Pit." She looked at Nora and the girl nodded.

They sat in a small circle on the ground. Emily took out the urn, handed Nora one of the parchments and the amulet. "Perform the spell, Nora."

The three of them joined hands. Nora started chanting the incantation from the manuscript Damien had dropped, her eyes now blazing with fire.

The ashes emerged from the urn, made a circle around the amulet, shot up and danced beneath the stars, changing colours. Dark and powerful choir voices resonated against the dilapidated brick walls around them.

Finally, there was a roar, like that of a thunder. Nora screamed out the final phrase of the incantation and the ashes glittered. They merged together into the silhouette of a silver falcon and flew straight back into the urn in a graceful dive. Nora put the lid on and handed the container to Emily. She smiled. "The spell is complete."

"Thank you, Nora. Now, wait for us here, we're going to bring the car around. "

Nora spent a few anxious minutes alone before Emily and Athena picked her up. She climbed into the passenger seat with a sigh.

"I checked the perimeter. We're free and clear," Athena stifled a yawn, sprawling in the back and stretching her muscles with a content smile.

"And I'll be left to face my father, who probably is very angry at my disobedience," Nora said, her eyes back to their soulful brown color, her face pale as a sheet.

"You don't have to, Nora," Emily lay a calming hand on her arm. "It still seems sort of surreal with the time-travel and all… But, several months ago, when I worked with your father and Malcolm, you were just a little girl, and we went through so many crazy things… To me, it seems like a moment, but in your consciousness, you lived years in foster care, in psychiatric wards... You remember these experiences."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't," Nora sighed. "But I guess it comes with the territory of dabbling with time."

"No, it's good that you do remember. You're not an oblivious and defenseless baby. You've learned from the pain. And you dare to defy. Be it even time itself."

"So, where do I go from here?" Nora asked in a skeptical tone. "I'm the daughter of the most hated man on the planet, I come from what I guess is a possible future of this universe and…" She covered her mouth with her hand for a moment. "The little girl, the little me is still here, I mean… there is two 'me's in this time period." Suddenly she started to laugh hysterically. "I can't believe how ridiculous that sounded. Combined with the fact I am possessed by a demon. I'm… damaged."

Emily sensed her distress, saw that the girl was teetering on a psychological precipice. "You're welcome to come with us. You're not damaged, Nora, you're... unique," she said, laying a calming hand on Nora's shoulder. "Besides, we all have our demons, in whatever form they come."

"Then I guess I'm in," Nora smiled.

"Welcome to the fold! Strap in and enjoy the ride!" Emily switched on some hard metal music, put the car in gear and they started on the road to a safe-house they would stay in until she could figure out her next move.

The drive was quiet. Each of the women buried in her own thoughts.

Nora recalled the traumatic events of a childhood spent in foster care. She remembered the night when her father had gone to fight some green-clad masked guy and never returned. Instead, a lady with a shrill voice and angry expression dragged her away to a sad dilapidated building, telling her it was her new home. An orphanage.

She was bullied by all the mean kids, disregarded by the adults. One night, she had what she thought was a dream; the wall of her small room opened and a figure emerged. She felt pain and fear and excitement.

" _You're mine,"_ Malus had said and so it had begun. Nora Dahrk was crazy, possessed, despised, handed off to each and every hack of an exorcist 'normal' citizens could think of.

She found her path eventually, after years and years of agony. Still, everything she had trusted in her childhood days had turned to ashes.

Nora felt on the verge of crying, but the nighttime landscapes flashing by and Emily singing along to the music on the car audio player cheered her up. The woman was so spontaneous and refreshing, so... fearless.

XxXxXxX

Athena stretched in the back seat, barely listening to what the other women were saying. She was thinking about Tigressa and the secret she still kept from Emily. Tigressa's play-pretend death, staged in front of Oliver and his allies. The woman who was still very much alive and very much helping them in their quest.

Tigressa was loyal to Malcolm to a fault. Athena and she had come up with a plan to lure Nyssa into a trap. Tigressa had taken drugs to appear to have bled out in the warehouse where the map was located, then continue with her end of the mission. Soon, time would come to fill Emily in on their scheme. Would it work? Athena had no clue, but she was willing to bet everything on it.

She started to drift off to a semi-dream about her past training with Al Saher, replaying his instructions in her mind, letting his kindness envelop her like the softest of blankets.

' _You can do it, Athena,'_ rang through her mind.

XxXxXxX

Emily stared at the road ahead, pushing the gas pedal full on. She glanced at Nora and Athena. Both women seemed to be blissfully asleep. She changed the music to a mellow rock song, so as not to wake them up with the louder beats. She could have stopped and taken a nap herself, but she knew she wouldn't be able to. Her mind was overflowing with thoughts. She felt tired and wired at the same time. It was difficult, more difficult than anything she had had to face before.

Her first priority in life had always been to do the right thing, for everyone, to find the ultimate cure. Very soon, she realized it was not as simple as the fairytales she'd read had depicted. When Malcolm's goals became clear to her, she found herself understanding him completely and then constantly facing opposition from people who understood nothing. In their perception, the world was black and white; to her, always shades of grey. It was so easy to write someone off as a villain. Too easy. Everyone was a villain, really, at one point or another in their life. The key was to own it and try again. Emily sighed. She was getting too caught up in her own thoughts again.

Suddenly, her phone chirped, breaking her out from her reverie.

"Hello?" She asked without looking at the caller Id.

"Emily, hi," came a subdued voice. Oliver Queen.

Emily almost choked at the sound, but managed to recover quickly. The last time she had spoken to him, she was play pretending to still be his casual acquaintance from college years, furthering her plan to infiltrate whatever he was up to. She stifled her urge to call him a jerk and slid back into her fake persona. It wasn't easy.

"Oliver? Um, hello," she said, switching to a slower lane, the gears in her mind spinning.

"Emily, can you talk?" he asked.

"Hang on a second." Emily swerved into an exit and parked near on abandoned side road. "Ok, I'm here," she said, deciding to somehow take control of the conversation. "You sound stressed, Oliver. Is everything alright? How did you thing with Slade go?"

"Well, it went alright, but that's not why I'm calling," he paused. "Things are kind of sliding downwards with the mayorship and.. On many other fronts. The bad press is really ruining every effort I make, and added to the Green Arrow stuff…"

 _Hm, so now you finally realize you are well out of your league?_ Emily thought, but did not voice her comments.

"Listen, Oliver, I meant what I said when we talked about making Star City a better place. I think I can at least help you with the bad press. I didn't become the COO of Carson Motors for nothing…" Now came the time to lie her ass off. "I'm meeting with the board of my company soon. In fact, I am between meetings right now, so if you want, I can get my PR team on to set up some good press for you. One thing less for you to worry about?"

"Oh, this would be great." Oliver sighed in relief. "I can't focus on this myself, I need to attend a Green Arrow-related meeting soon, one which might explain a lot of the recent unknowns."

Emily did not know why all the alarm bells in her head started to go off at once then, but she quieted them enough to respond casually and not ask questions which might make him suspicious. "Alright, so good luck with that, and um, we will be in touch about the PR schedules. Talk to you soon, Oliver!"

Emily disconnected, but the silence did not last long before her phone chirped again. It was a coded number, one she knew all to well. Sabrina. Her best friend, one of Malcolm's most trusted allies.

"Bri?

"Don't act so surprised, Ems. You were supposed to check in after you got the ashes ready."

"Well, there were a few hiccups along the way," Emily said, then explained what Damien had done and Oliver's suspicious call.

"Well, so it's not all fun and games there."

"Nope."

Sabrina sighed, then updated Emily on what she and the rest of Malcolm's team were doing. "Ems, Kev and Tim are available in stealth mode doing their thing, but I..."

"What is it, Bri?" Emily sensed the unease in her friend's voice.

"Someone's been following me."

"What?!"

"I booked a room in a motel and went out to get some supplies. The room was searched, Ems. Not tossed, but my stuff was ever-so-slightly out of order. You know how I am, Ems."

Emily's blood turned cold. Sabrina was a top-notch assassin and spy, she missed no detail.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Text me the address." Emily pulled out of the side road and screeched onto the main highway. Her maneuvers woke up Athena and Nora. She dropped them off at the safe house and, tired as they were, she instructed them to get some sleep, then slammed the door behind her and returned to her car.

She felt rebellion building up inside as she pulled up to the motel. She used the secret knock on the door, so Sabrina would know it was her.

"Come in," echoed from within and Emily entered to find Sabrina sitting on the bed, her back to the door, her posture straight, tense. Not a good sign.

"Bri, is everything alright? Have there been any developments since we spoke?" Emily asked anxiously. It was very unlike Bri to behave his way.

"No," Sabrina said in a detached voice. "Nothing's missing, but someone has definitely been here." She remained just sitting there, then she turned towards Emily, not quite meeting her eyes, and said in a low voice, "Emily, are you absolutely sure we are doing the right thing?"

Emily was caught by surprise, unable to speak. She couldn't believe Sabrina was questioning the very thing they'd fought for for so long.

Sabrina continued, "I mean, even for you, it is pretty extreme, throwing in with Damien Dahrk and his demon spawn of a daughter, all just to…"

Emily caught on very quickly to where her best friend's train of thought seemed to be heading: " _All JUST to bring back Malcolm."_ And with it came a barrage of Emily's thoughts, suspicions, fears. Sabrina had been in the mercenary game longer than Emily, and had a different viewpoint on some things. Was she now thinking that trying to rescue Malcolm was a fool's errand? Was she ready to move on, to other projects? Then the terrifying thought struck her:

Was Bri ready to give up on Malcolm?

There was no 'out' for Emily. It was either him or nothing. No other 'project' or 'mission'. Everything centered on him and that was how she wanted it.

"I'm not giving up, Sabrina. Whatever it is you want to say, don't! I cannot force you to remain by my side." Emily said these words and they fell like stones, crumbling into ashes immediately upon impact with the ground.

"Ems, I'm not abandoning you," Sabrina attempted in a muffled, desperate voice.

"I hope to heavens and beyond you are not, Bri, but right now I need to go and proceed with my plan. Stay safe."

She turned towards the exit.

Bri got up and started to follow her. She put her hand on Emily's arm, but the other woman shook it off without looking. "Sabrina, DON'T." Her voice sounded like broken glass mixed with steel.

Emily exited the room, swallowing the tears streaming down her face. It did not make any sense, none of it. She slammed the door shut and walked away into the night, heedless of where she was going. The black forest around the motel swallowed her and she welcomed the darkness.

XxXxXxX

Here you go, people, lets see if we can handle a little cliffhanger suspense!


	5. Encounters

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Encounters.**

 _ **Author's note: This one is mysterious, and angsty, deliberately so.**_

 **XxXxXxX**

Emily Carson walked down the parking garage ramp with a rather large suitcase, when the steady click-click rhythm of her expensive, black, custom-made shoes was interrupted by a green arrow suddenly lodged right in front of her foot.

"You must be getting sloppy, Oliver. One inch to the right and I would be missing a toe. Or do you only go for the bigger limbs of late? A chopped off-hand perhaps?" Her voice turned venomous and then toned down to business-like. "To what do I owe this costumed visit? I thought you were past that by now. Both of us know who we are, as well as our loyalties. Maybe it's time we dropped the act?"

Oliver lowered his bow and closed the distance between them in mere seconds, then pinned her to the wall.

"I'm not in any way mistaken as to where your loyalties lie, Emily, not any longer." He pushed her into the building elevator. "We've known each other for years, and now I discover that my friend from college who promised to help me with my PR problems, has not only been moonlighting as a vigilante, but is going on a full-blown mission, involving Damien Dahrk, to resurrect my long-sworn enemy, Malcolm Merlyn!"

Oliver regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth. Emily's expression turned from infuriated to a very disturbing blank. Her pupils dilated and her stormy blue eyes turned black.

"You did not just say that," she spoke in a raspy voice.

She shoved him aside in one swift movement, then pressed the elevator button to take them to her floor.

She held his arm in a death-grip as they exited the elevator and led him to her apartment. She kicked the door open and pushed him inside, then shoved him against the wall and closed the door, putting the alarm code in before he could regain his bearings.

Oliver was shocked by her strength.

"Emily. What the hell are you doing?!"

"I might ask you the same question!"

She pushed Oliver into an iron chair, placed conveniently just to the right of the entrance. So were the handcuffs, which she clasped around Oliver's wrists in a flash-like movement. No one ever accused Emily Carson of not being a handy girl.

She shoved another iron chair closer and sat in it, facing Oliver. "Well, Ollie," she sighed. "I'd really like to call this a nice reunion between friends who used to go to college together way before one of them just went and dropped out. What I must call it is a vigilante attacking a lady in her parking garage. Now, I did not gag you, Ollie, so you are free to speak any time. What is your excuse for this encounter?!"

"To prevent a maniac blinded by love from resurrecting a menace, and who is working with Damien Dahrk's spawn."

"So, you think you did your homework on me. Did ARGUS help?" Her expression twisted, her tone turned ice-cold. "Be careful whom you call a menace, Oliver. It definitely never was Malcolm."

"So, you think bringing him back is the right thing to do?"

"YES! Because what happened on that island is WRONG, OLIVER!" Emily started shaking as she spoke it. "You weren't there in that forest, but I heard it LIVE on freaking COMMS, in stereo.

"MALCOLM telling Thea and Felicity to escape, while he allowed Boomerang, a man YOU allied yourself with and who betrayed you, to blow him to smithereens!

"I heard the click on the mine, I heard them run away as Malcolm defied your true enemy to the very last moment, the way he sacrificed himself, for you!

"I heard his last words, and the sound of the explosion!

"Now, you get to live with the ones you love, while all I have are Malcolm's ashes and the sound of his final breath!

"There are mornings, just seconds before I awake… I expect to see him smile at me, look forward to a chance at a life with him! Do you know what I _actually_ wake up to?! An empty space in my bed!

"All Thea and Nyssa are doing is depriving me of this chance! And now, I have to stand here and hear you call the LOVE OF MY LIFE your worst enemy? An ENEMY who was then one of your strongest allies on that hellhole of an island you call Lian Yu!

"The man who taught you how to ride your first bike? The man who, before the murder of his wife turned his existence into living hell, was practically your FAMILY?!

"The man who stood as the SOLE SHIELD between Boomerang, his goons, and Thea and Felicity1, without wanting anything in return!

"History may have condemned him as a monster, but to me, HE IS THE HERO, YOU ARE A MONSTER, OLIVER QUEEN. YOU AND ALL THOSE COMPLICIT IN THIS FARCE YOU CALL YOUR QUEST!"

She threw the handcuff key at him. "You're skilled enough to know how to free yourself, Mr Green Arrow! Don't pursue me or interfere with my plans. This is the only warning you're going to get!"

She stormed out, not waiting for an answer.

 **XxXxXxX**

 ** _Damien Dahrk's hideout, outskirts of Star City._**

A dark-haired woman exited her vehicle, dropping the keys into the palm of the man waiting there. "Not a scratch on it, when I come to collect it," she barked.

"Oui, Mademouiselle," the valet assured her politely and made himself scarce.

"Hello, Damien," Emily said, entering a room full of men armed to the teeth, without batting an eyelash at the gear they were holding. Athena followed, throwing everyone a somewhat darker look.

"Emilia. Athena," Damien said, gesturing for his guards to exit the room.

"It's EmiLY, as it always was, but you seem to change the rules and names for people you deal with every time you get... _miffed_." The woman corrected him and sat herself in one of the chairs.

"I only get 'miffed' when someone borrows my daughter without asking my permission first," Damien replied.

"I only did that because you attempted to renege on our deal after you got your hands on that trinket, the whats-it diamond I procured for you." Emily smiled. "And here I thought we were agreed we would pull out a thorn in our mutual sides."

"Yes, but I did not expect you _putting_ a thorn in _my_ side: kidnapping my daughter."

Emily rose from her chair. "Damien, perhaps it has not dawned on you yet, but we all know why I'm here. I want to resurrect Malcolm and get rid of the problems caused by Oliver Queen and his pest of a sister. I never kidnapped your daughter; she came with me willingly. And she is safe and sound, taking some time away from her daddy, as any woman of age is entitled t-"

She broke off as Damien approached her with his phone, showing a video of Nyssa holding Nora, tied up and gagged in a warehouse.

"Damien Dahrk, unless you present yourself, Emily Carson, and Al Saher's ashes at the location included in the attached message by this evening, your daughter is done for."

Emily stifled a curse. Athena wasn't as subtle and uttered a hearty ' _oh shit'_. "She was safe and fine when we left her this morning."

"Emily," Damien said, in a pleading tone completely unlike himself. "I might be guilty of many things, but not loving my daughter isn't one of them."

"As unlikely as that sounds, I actually believe you." Emily started pacing. "Shut up and let me think. Nyssa kidnapped your daughter. But she is Nyssa, cooperating with the sister of Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow himself. So, even if we go in there and politely hand over Malcolm's ashes, there is no way she or he will let go of Damien Dahrk himself."

"So, we're done for, either way." Damien looked beyond desperate.

"We're not... let me think... ok, don't panic. You have this telekinetic mojo, right? Aaand this um, whatshisname Malus, Malesh, you have some sort of connection with him? I mean you did introduce Nora to him, right?"

Damien nodded.

"So is he like one type of lady kind of guy, or could I tap into that, warn him that his ward is in peril?"

"It could work. I bet Nyssa is blocking Nora's connection to him right now some way."

Athena balked at the idea. "Ems, communing with demons doesn't seem like a wise solution."

"It's either this or giving up Malcolm and I am not doing that, EVER. Besides, I have had some experience with the occult. Damien, do you have a way for me to contact him?"

"Yes, an incantation, but he is very picky, I have not used it in years. His assistance in Nora's recent rebellion proves that he is much fonder of her than me."

"We need to try this anyway. Speak it now, lead me in, I'll take it from there."

Damien did not have to be told twice. He grabbed a knife from the table.

"Now that is not morbid at all," Athena quipped.

"In order for Malus to communicate, he needs Nora's DNA to be combined with Emily's so he recognizes it."

"Makes sense." Emily pulled back the sleeve of her dress as Damien made a cut. It was surprisingly gentle. Then he cut his own arm and joined their wrists, moving to draw a circle of blood around Emily.

He whispered a short incantation and stepped out. "He should appear to you soon."

Emily was suddenly transported into a different world. A grey wasteland with rivulets of blood seeping through the cracked earth. There were no sounds, save for the wind. Emily took several steps forward but was stopped by a haunting, inquisitive voice.

"Who dares to trespass into the realm of Malus?"

A threatening, wraith-like figure approached.

Emily steeled herself to speak. "I... My name is Emily, I am a friend of your ward's; Nora Dahrk. Her father helped me get here because she is in peril and we beg your assistance. A mutual enemy is threatening her life and I think they have cut off her connection to you."

There was a sigh. "Yes, I am very fond of the Darhks and I have not heard from young Nora in a while. It's had me quite worried. You must be aware, though, that me helping you rescue her involves you becoming my vessel and you must agree to perform some occasional future favors for me. I will not posses you like I have her, but we shall have a connection."

"I can agree to that."

The figure reached out to touch her chest, right where her heart was. It was not painful, just ethereal and otherworldly.

"I sense you are not a stranger to the occult arts."

"No, I am not. Nor do I disapprove of them."

The figure nodded. "And you are not doing this just for the sake of Nora."

"No, for my beloved."

"Malcolm Merlyn. So you love him that much?"

Emily felt startled by how fast this being was able to read her emotions. Would he be angry if she admitted to her feelings? She was prepared to take that risk. "I love him beyond life itself and even further."

"It is rare for such purity and honesty as yours to enter my realm. I will help you, Emily. Thanks to your blood having been mixed with Nora's DNA, you will be able to sense her; it shall help you find her. You will feel a little pain just above your chest which will allow us to keep our symbiosis. Still, I am impressed, Emily Carson. It has been ages since I've had a connection with someone, given so willingly."

"I am glad of it, Malus." Emily relaxed into the pain she felt when Malus performed this spell. It wasn't beyond endurable and it put her in an enhanced sense of awareness.

"Thank you, for your help, Malus."

"You're welcome. You will wake up now."

Emily woke up in Damien's embrace, of all places, because Athena got a major case of voodo heebie-jeebies and refused to approach her after she collapsed.

"Was it all right, will he assist us?" Damien asked anxiously as he helped her come to.

"Yes, he was surprisingly nice for a demon encounter. Thanks to our blood mixture and him being a girls' guy, I am now a walking GPS for Nora. In the bargain, we were thrown some supernatural skills courtesy of Malus, and before you ask, I was not possessed. Temporarily, just for the mission sort of thing, then I'll need to peform some favors for him after, occasionally."

They made their way towards the vehicle.

"You seem surprisingly cool with this, Emily." Damien smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't be in this business if I weren't okay with the occasional spot of the occult, Damien. And really, on the scale of one to ten, between him and the spooky lady at my grocery store? He'd score a 4 while she'd end up with like 9."

Damien chuckled as he started the engine. "So, where does your inner demon-vamped up GPS tell us we should go next?"

"LA, California."

Athena took out her phone. "So should I book one male room and two female room or a couples room for you two, since you're so flirty," she asked.

"Aw, look at you developing a sense of humor, Athena." Emily laughed. "Book a four person suite with a kitchen annex. We will always have the night bar for flirting."

"Got ya there. Uh, and covert names? Or do we log in under Killie Nyssa, Strangly Thea, Howard NoOliver? Scarrie Norry?"

"Look who's getting in the mood!" Emily hooted. "No, plain unassuming undercover names, girl. And watch your speed on the highway, Damien."

"No need to be so bossy. You trying to pose as my wife or something?"

"Actually might."

"Oh heck! " Damien sighed.

XxXxXxX

Author's note:

A little drama, a little fun, all to please you, and get a review:p


	6. California

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 6**

 **California**

 _ **Author's note:Expect lots of fun and action :)**_

XxXxXxX

 ** _California, LA._**

Emily and Damien strolled down the Sunset Boulevard, sporting vintage drinks. Athena had caught the 'surveillance in the truck' gig.

"You two better be glad we have AC or I'd be out in the streets, shooting people!" She piped up grumpily.

"All my vehicles have AC," Damien hissed into his comlink with indignation.

"Shut up, I am about to get a print of Frank Sinatra's hand with a personalized dedication on it!" Emily swooned at the man at the register.

"Oh, not you too!" Damien facepalmed. "I was here with Malcolm during our time travels with Thawne." Damien sighed."At least Merlyn had the decency not to get a picture."

"Well, a master is a master! And don't be a spoilsport. Malcolm and I share a passion for classy music." Emily struck a pose, then got her picture and her print.

"Well, Gesundheit," Damien pretended to cough.

"Hey, miss!" the photographer shouted. "May I have your autograph, you kind of look like a star!"

"Of course, darling, where do I sign?" Emily smiled sweetly.

"What the heck are you up to?" Damien hissed. "You got an Oscar or a Grammy I don't know of?"

"It's quite possible, I did dabble in Hollywood for a wile, under a nickname. And now, I just might get a special award, for killing Nyssa Al Ghul later this day."

"You are crazy, woman!"

"We all are, and being extra crazy is how we lure them out." She posed for other photographers, then pulled Damien into the newest and most expensive shopping mall.

"Welcome to the Avantgarde!" One of the sales assistants greeted them.

"Fantastique," Emily smiled and went in for the hunt. "Ladies, I'll have this dress in all the available colors... oh these two in black and this too looks wonderful. Ah, also this casual suit would be perfect for my husband." She gave Damien a peck on the cheek. "He will be paying with the gold card. Do you provide complimentary Champagne service?"

"Of course, Mrs?"

"Dahrk. We have a joint account."

"Emily, are you mad? And since when do we have a joint account?!" Damien exploded as they entered the changing rooms.

"Yeah since when do you?" Athena piped up on the commlinks.

"Since very recently, and Athena you are about to thank me for some beautiful black numbers, which you, Damien are paying for and before you ask 'what the heck', I did a little hacking trick recently and transferred 1000000 from your flush fund into our joint spending account in LA National to make a splash, make us noticeable to Nyssa and whomever cares to show up. I'm sure they traced the account and card activity already."

"Ah, this is what you were doing on your little tablet while we were on our way here?" Damien griped resignedly

"Yes. Felicity frikking Smoak isn't the only one who can hack! So you can help me zip up this dress, _hubby_ and keep up the charade with a pretend kiss."

"I don't believe this woman, but I already love her! I'm coming over." Athena said.

Emily and Damien exited the changing rooms: her dressed in a long black and silver dress, him in a suave dark grey suit. Athena joined them in the lobby after a while in an all black dress, and then a surprise guest entered.

She was wearing a black and red tunic, Poi accessories adorning her bag.

"I did not know your friend would be joining us, Emily," Damien whispered.

Emily just smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you again, Mr Dahrk," Sabrina said.

"Pleasure is all mine, Ms Snow," He shook her hand. "I didn't expect you here. I'm sure you will enjoy the crowd, though. Good to have you here."

"Well, I always feel welcome when my company is welcome."

"It always is, Sabrina."

Emily approached her friend and led her away towards the refreshments table. Sabrina was the first to speak. "Ems, I hope you don't mind that I followed you here and.. Just please disregard what I said at the motel. I… You and Malcolm, you are family to me. I want him back as much as you do. I'm not moving on, moving away from you… I just... Whoever sneaked up on me there, it threw me off my game.

"Bri, I know and I'm sorry I got angry. I had a surprise meeting with Oliver. He knows I'm cooperating with Damien. Which means Nyssa knows. We are here trying to lure them out. Get a jump on them before they have a chance."

Sabrina sighed, her expression turned dark.

They all went upstairs into a grand private hall.

They were toasted with champagne by the staff and after a while Damien alerted them all that there were archers and gunmen targeting them from above.

"Nobody do anything utill I locate my daughter." Damien Dahrk said and approached Emily.

"You won't let her die, will you?" He whispered.

"No, just follow my lead. Block all the unnecessaries out. I have Nora located, it is my job," Emily said. "Damien, use your telekinesis to kill all the surveillance cameras!" He nodded and ordered his men to proceed.

Emily went out into the center of the room already feeling her connection with Malus growing stronger. "Nyssa, I know you are here, armed, and you have an innocent with you, Nora Dahrk,"

"A Dahrk can never be called innocent."

"This one is innocent. She has been infected by a demon, against her will, as a child. "

Emily called on Damien and Malus to cooperate in her ploy. "Unlike Nora, I have entered into it willingly. I am tired of his control. Save her, take me, Nyssa."

' _Sabrina, Athena fire at them as soon as I duck, then throw me a bow.' Emily whispered into the commlinks._

Emily continued in a louder voice. "Nyssa, I am unarmed, ready to give myself up. Let this innocent woman go. Allow this war to end."

The situation developed fast.

"Start shooting!" Nyssa shouted

Emily entered her inner mind " _Malus, protect Nora, Damien and me, help all of our allies as best you can, use my life force if you need to."_

 _The sounds of battle continued on, but Emily heard them as if they came through a screen. A screen made of blood and unearthly roars. Tired, but friendly roars._

 _She lay on her side, woke up to see Malus' unearthly figure, hovering a little, touching her gently._

" _Now you fight, girl."_

And she joined the fray with an unearthly cry, her eyes bloody, her bow infused with unearthly power.

"Sabrina, you on cue?"

"Always!"

"Then follow my lead!"

"My, is she flying, am I flying?" Athena asked.

"We are all flying, courtesy of Malus and Damien Dahrk, so get on board!"

"Now shoot down the archers below, they are Nyssa's!"

"I'm about to land, I got Nyssa! Ouch I got hit! " Emily heard Sabrina exclaim.

"Damien, keep the fighters in the air, dispersed formation, cover fire, I'm going for Nyssa."

"Copy," came Damien's comm and some of his coworkers.

They landed several meters from where Nyssa was, holding both a wounded Sabrina and a somewhat battered Nora.

Loaded situation. Emily took the lead.

"Damien, stay where you are, have your men cover you and the team. Also, remember we have Malus."

"Copy that."

Emily landed and took position behind a small fence.

"Pretty cheap of you, Nyssa, taking a wounded warrior and an innocent woman as your cover."

"All I have in front of me is a mercenary and the spawn of an evil bastard! Pretty cheap of you to throw in with such trash, Emily Carson."

"Damien, stay calm, keep your men in position, I know how to handle this," Emily spoke into her commlink, "Keep the cover fire to prevent them from nearing me"

She focused her mind and entered a different realm.

" _Malus."_

" _I am here, Emily."_

" _Connect me to Nora, I am planning a combined attack." She went on to explain what she needed done._

" _It is, you can proceed."_

 _Emily felt the painful rush of Malus' energy course through her, struggled to adjust._

" _I know it can be uncomfortable at first," came his voice._

" _I can deal with it, Malus," Emily mentally whispered in response, "Now let us do our best to help your ward,"_

 _She went in for the attack as she approached Nyssa._

" _Nora, you know what to do, Sabrina you remember our occult sessions!"_

 _The women replied in the affirmative and the battle started._

 _Nyssa found it hard to parry Emily's blows when she came at her for close combat._

" _Emily, this is the time to come back to the right side, instead of throwing in with murderers and demons!" She panted._

" _Thanks for your concern, but I'm quite comfortable where I am, Nyssa!" Emily grinned. "And Athena was right when she said what she did to me."_

 _Nyssa got distracted for a while. "What did she say?"_

" _Your legwork has not changed since when you were a child, training with her."_

 _Emily proceeded to kick Nyssa's legs from under her as one of Damien's warriors grabbed Sabrina._

 _Emily shot one of her special arrows, grabbed Nora and zipped upwards through the glass roof and made a quick escape from their opponents._

They landed on the hill Sabrina had spotted as they arrived.

Damien moved in to hold Nora.

"You are safe, darling, you're safe," he said hugging her. He approached Emily, who finished her inner conversation with Malus.

"I owe you an infinite debt, Ms Carson," Damien said. "I am in awe of what you did today. I've been around for quite some time, and I have yet to see a person of your grit and your skill. Thank you for saving my Nora."

"You're very welcome, Damien. Now we continue on our way?"

"Yes, we sure do."

They climbed into the vehicle Damien's men had brought to their location.

Nora and Sabrina, all patched up, climbed into the backseat. The women fell asleep immediately.

After a while, Emily sat in the driver's seat, but right after they started, she said: "There is something I'm wondering about, Damien."

"What is it?"

"Why do you keep on helping me? Nora is safe, you certainly could get the heck out of dodge and leave me to my own devices."

Damien chuckled. "I could, but, like I said earlier, you have shown major grit and… I have some mileage on me, I've seen people do amazing things . And the mission you are about to embark upon, the odds you are facing; I want to see you succeed."

His tone turned darker then."Aside from this, Malcolm has been there for me when no one else would. After my wife was killed, he was the only one to show compassion."

"You loved Ruve deeply," Emily said in a heavy tone.

"How can you tell?," Damien asked.

"My supernatural senses tells me."

"Just as they told you to throw in with daemons and mass murderers? I heard what Nyssa said on your commlink."

"My senses tell me not to throw in with hypocrites, the likes of her and Thea. Also, to look beyond the popular opinion and instead of a public view, see a man who loves his family beyond life itself, and may even help me save the man I love. I'm betting big on you, here, Dahrk."

"I sure won't disappoint you, Emily. You set high standards. I'd like to meet them. You were our compass to Nora and she was smart enough to leave some of her blood on her, so it's an option,we have our men for support and, well, Malus also has some aces up his sleeve. I guess you are our Northern Star though, so... let's follow it."

"Damien, your Nothern Star wont fail you, you just need to trust me and behave," Emily sighed and continued, t"Damien Dahrk, trusting an behaving. Now, thats a material for a movie."

"What do you know, with all the alternate realities zinging around, we just might make a splash." He laughed.

"Give me good wardrobe and I'm game."

They both chuckled and cuddled up.

"First shift is me, then the ladies."

"Agreed. Good night, Dahrk."

XxXxXxXxX

 ** _Author's note:_** _really enjoyed writing this one. Remember to review! Love you people!_


	7. Wilderness

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Wilderness**

 _ **Author's note:** Sometimes you have to wander through the wilderness, to find the path to where you want to be on._

 **XxXxXxX**

 ** _Remote location in California, nighttime._**

Emily bit her lips as she stopped the vehicle again.

"Ems, I hate to be the backseat driver here, but we've stopped several times already, and it's been a few stops after Damien patched me and Nora up again a few hours ago." Sabrina piped up.

"Well, it is not simple science. Nora is not with Nyssa, so I can't exactly use her as a human GPS. Malus just gives me a general sense of where we are safe going. All Damien knows is a location of some _potential_ Pits, and that's a big if. We don't know if Nyssa and Thea are heading there."

"Well, we need to cover all of them!" Sabrina shouted.

"Well, it would be handier if we had the map; no offense, Athena! However, all we have is Damien's details, so let us focus on this for now."

"I agree, let's get focused," Damien said.

Emily hit the breaks suddenly and they stopped. She exited the vehicle.

Damien followed her for a while. "Emily, now's not the time for you to throw a fit!" He exclaimed.

"I'm tired of all the squabbling in there, need to walk it off, get back inside."

"Wh-"

"I've had enough of you all screaming, I can't drive like this! I already said, I need to walk it off! Go back and tell them, then hail your men for updates."

Damien followed her advice, called his men.

Emily walked it off, channeled her inner mindset, sat down in a secluded spot, entered the out worldly demon landscape.

"Malus," she whispered.

"I am here and sense you are in distress," he rasped in his dark voice.

"Is it wrong for me to talk to you in times like this? Does it breach the terms of our agreement?" Emily attempted to speak calmly, in order not to aggravate Malus.

"I does not, feel free to; but you seem distraught."

"You're right. I find my companions' squabbles and wonderings distracting. I mean, I have some of my own too, which I project on them and it is not helping," she sighed. "Hell, I'm just rambling and maybe boring you?"

"You're not, if anything you're surprising and intriguing to me."

"Why?"

"You don't seem afraid of me and I know you have seen the cruelty I'm capable of, yet when our minds first merged, I did not feel hostility."

"Maybe it's because I've also noticed the kindness you are capable of."

"This is what I'm talking about. Very few people's first instinct when coming into contact with a daemon would be fear. And yet, when I probed you, I felt this... curiosity, this willingness to see good in me."

"Well, there is good in you!" Emily insisted.

"And only one percent of people would insist on that with the conviction you have done just now. Only one percent would see the good in a multitude of people, not mentioning the daemons.

"Forgetting the humble me, let's mention Malcolm, as par for the course, but focus on Damien: look at it; there he is, traversing this part of the universe, helping you with your errand to rescue Malcolm, because you managed to tap into the rare thing which is the goodness that exists in him."

"What are you getting at, Malus?" Emily asked.

"Your conundrum here, Emily. I am only a daemon, but just as you've tapped into the hidden goodness in all of these people; you have tapped into the goodness in me. You have a talent for this: noticing the best in creatures." Malus said quietly.

"Am I naive by doing this? I know very little about you, but I appreciate the pep talk, Malus."

"You're welcome, Emily." Was there a touch of warmth in his voice, or had she imagined it?

"So, am I the one who gets killed while pursuing my goals?"

Malus actually smiled. "No, Emily. You are the one who actually succeeds."

Emily did not know how to respond to that. She nodded and took the long route back to the car.

She searched in her soul and after a while, she knew what she had to do.

"What is your path, if I dare ask, Captain Emily?" Damien said, choosing to be dramatic.

Emily did enjoy the twist that Sara Lance had gotten herself the title of a captain when she became the leader of the Legends and their spaceship: the Waverider and immediately caught on to the implied reference. "Well, Damien,we are in the midst of the unknown. I say our path will lead us to where we have to go. Through the wilderness, if need be."

They returned to their vehicle and she put the car in gear.

"Let's drive on."

XxXxXxX

 _ **Authoe's note:**_ Let the journey continue, people!


	8. Here I Am

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 8:**

 **Here I am**

 _ **Author's note:** Dear readers, welcome back! I know it's been a long hiatus, but I needed to take a break from publishing because of health issues._

 _Before we begin, just a brief recap. After rescuing Nora from Nyssa's clutches, Emily and her companions continue their quest to find one of the remaining Lazarus Pits._

XxXxXxX

 ** _A highway in California._**

"I'm hungry," Nora griped from the back seat.

"And we're due for a pee break as well!" Sabrina and Athena complained.

"You should put that into your 'wilderness' schedule, Ems, or they won't shut up," Damien remarked.

"Calm down, it's only a few miles to the next town." Emily admonished the women, rolling her eyes.

 _Next town._

The seemingly innocent words hung between them all like dead weight.

They'd been driving around for days now, from one small town to the next and the scenario was pretty much the same everywhere: they'd stop at a motel, pretending to be tourists on a lazy trip round California. In reality, they were searching for any clues that might lead them to the Pit. Perhaps a mention of an ancient, forgotten site at the local library, some accidental gossip at the bar, an elderly citizen who knew the place's lore and would let slip a significant detail...

Unfortunately, at the end of the day,they always ended up with the same result: a headache.

Still, Damien insisted the Pit must be in the area, so they kept searching.

"Emily, listen. I know what you must be thinking," Damien started quietly, but there was an edge to his voice. "That I'm just leading you on for my own hidden reasons, using you, or-"

"Damien, stop. I _don't_ think that. Do you really believe I'd go along with it if I did?" Her tone was gentle. She glanced at the man and saw how drawn his expression was, quite unlike the unfazed Damien Dahrk the world had come to know and hate.

"We're all frustrated," she admitted. "But you're not the only one that senses the Pit is around here somewhere. And yes, it does feel like we are grasping at straws trying to pinpoint its location, but if a straw's all I got, then I'll take the damn straw."

Damien smiled at her stubbornness.

Emily continued, "What I'm more concerned about is that neither Nyssa nor any of her posse are attacking us, which means they are up to something," she growled.

"At least we know they're not ahead of us and that they haven't destroyed the Pit. We'd certainly have sensed _that_." Damien said darkly.

"Yes, for now. So they might be following in our footsteps. The map Nyssa has stolen is probably of little use to _her,_ anyway. Malcolm delved into very ancient lore when he had it made and he definitely kept that a secret. She's bound to make mistakes with the map because she doesn't know how to recognize the modifications Malcolm left there. As to Thea, she wouldn't be able to read ancient runes if they hit her right on the face one by one." Emily allowed herself a brief smile at this quip and continued, "The only people able to decode them correctly are me, Athena and Tigressa. Then again, Thea is Malcolm's blood, which could be in her favor, somehow," she said in a troubled voice.

They drove on in silence, but when they reached their destination, it turned out not to be a small town, just a lonely gas station with a diner and some decrepit buildings out back.

"Wow. This is getting more and more impressive. Burj Al-Arab in Dubai has nothing on this place," Nora quipped as they all exited the car and entered the diner. Damien silenced her with a glare.

The woman behind the counter looked up, her initially bored expression changed into that of calculating interest as she saw several potential customers.

Emily ordered food and drinks for everybody and when they were served, she asked politely:

"Um, Ms… Rita," she said, reading the plaque on the woman's uniform. "We thought this was a town. "

Rita laughed. "Yeah, it was, a long time ago. Now it's just a pit stop for truckers and the like. Tourists come by every now and then. There's a hiking trail here. Leads to an old rock or some such, but I don't think anyone's been there for years. People are too picky nowadays and prefer something less overgrown, so they just eat here, refuel and move on to somewhere more fancy. Still, this place brings me enough money to live on and I like the peace and quiet. The entire area has this special atmosphere about it, you know."

Emily's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Damien and his gaze told her everything she needed to know.

'So, you're hikers or something?" Rita asked.

"Yes, we are," Emily said. "Extreme hikers. The more difficult the terrain, the better. We like to challenge ourselves."

"Well, this one should be right up your alley, then."

"Great." Emily smiled. "Now, is there somewhere we can put our car out of sight, and… could you not mention the trail if other...tourists happen by? We don't like to be disturbed." She took out a wad of hundreds from her wallet, put it on the counter and pushed it towards Rita. The woman's jaw dropped.

"Um, you wouldn't be some of those New Age type of folks, getting up to weird stuff in secluded spots? Cause I don't need that kind of trouble here," she said, looking at Nora's flowy dark dress suspiciously.

Emily burst out with pearly laughter.

"No, Rita! Truth be told, we all work corporate jobs in New York and we're sick of the City, so whenever we can get out of there, we just want to dive into pure nature, no distractions."

"Ah, I can understand that," Rita said, finally pocketing the money with a smile. She turned the sign on the diner's door to 'closed', then showed them to a shed out back where they could hide the car. There was a side room with provisions. She told them they could take whatever they needed, gave them directions to where the trail started and made herself scarce.

"So, are we really certain this is the-" Athena began, but stopped herself when she saw the look in Emily's eyes.

"Ems, are you sure we should just march on in there, hardly knowing what to expect?" Sabrina pulled her over into a corner.

"What else would you have me do, Bri?" Emily snapped. "Huddle up in a corner, take out my cellphone and binge-play a game to take my mind off things and relax!? Or plan a different project, like you did way before you abandoned me weeks ago?"

"That was before and I came back, didn't I? I'm here!"

"Until WHEN?! Your next 'new idea', Emily spat, then lowered her voice and touched her friend on the arm.

"I'm sorry, Bri, but there's too much at stake here. You are my best friend in the entire world...I cannot allow myself to doubt you. So forgive me, if I ask it for the hundredth time: Are you WITH me on this?"

"I AM!" Sabrina squeezed her hand, almost past the pain level and Emily breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am, Ems." Emily hugged her tightly.

Damien checked his men's positions on the commlink and gave them additional instructions.

The group started changing into their suits, checking on their gear and packing provisions, slowly turning from tourists back to warriors.

"Alright, people, here's the situation," Emily said when they were ready. "From what Rita told me, we've got several hours' hike ahead of us to get to the rock. I'm not certain if we have a head start on Nyssa or some of her posse or if she is following in our footsteps. One thing is for sure: her people might be watching us, so we need to be constantly vigilant in case of an ambush and avoid stops unless absolutely necessary."

The group nodded.

"We go close formation; Damien's men will shadow us and observe from the sides. So, without further ado, let's move out, party!"

She tried to make her voice sound as powerful and positive as possible, even though her heart played the drum of fear.

XxXxXxX

The entrance to the trail was a blink- and-you'll-miss-it clearing in a dense wall of trees. The place wasn't listed as part of any National Park anywhere, but nature had clearly been given free reign here.

And for good reason. The minute the trees closed in around them, they felt a powerful aura that radiated from every corner. It took one's breath away. Like a capricious wild animal, it could be equally inviting and threatening.

Sabrina, Athena and Nora went on ahead, while Emily strode together with Damien. The moss spreading below her feet felt like a luxurious carpet, the canopy of branches above provided welcome respite from the beaming California sun.

"It welcomes us," Damien said in a reverent whisper.

"I can feel it," Emily whispered back.

They walked for a while in silence, reveling in the landscape, taking in the scents and the colors, the freshness of the air, the promise it breathed.

They couldn't allow the beauty to distract them too much, though. Their enemies certainly weren't far behind. The subconscious sense of their presence disturbed this otherwise peaceful place.

Damien murmured into his commlink and confirmed his men hadn't encountered anything out of the ordinary so far.

 _So far_. Suddenly, Emily felt the familiar rebellion rise inside her. Why, _why_ should perfect moments always be marred by something _wrong_ , either the memory of it, its existence in the now or the threat of it in the future?

Why couldn't things just be _right_ and stay that way? Why was it so popular to accept the _wrong,_ why were there hundreds,, no MILLIONS of books written on how to learn to live with the _wrong_ , instead of just fixing it, obliterating it off of the face of the earth. Emily hated the cliche saying that 'if it weren't for misery, one wouldn't be able to recognize happiness'

Well, try that logic with children who enjoy happiness unburdened by loss or despair, untamed by fear and experience.

Emily wanted to feel that again. To remember the world from the eyes of a child. To rid her laughter of bitterness, to purge her dreams of nightmares. She wanted the _right_ , before the _wrong_ became the rule she suddenly had to learn to accept, to DEAL WITH?!

She came so close to fixing that when she'd joined Malcolm, Damien and Thawne in their quest for the Spear of Destiny. A quest thwarted by those who so grandiosely chose to call themselves the _legends of tomorrow_.

The reality Emily and her friends dreamed of was shattered, the one they were so brutally returned to quickly deteriorated into an even worse nightmare than could have been imagined. As if it was a sin to dare to want something better.

Emily turned to Damien.

"You know, I do wonder why you are sticking around with this mad mission I'm on. Not because I doubt your gratitude to Malcolm, but because you clearly have unfinished business with Sara Lance and her own band of hypocritical goons you could be taking care of right now."

"I see you're well informed about my recent quest and still not a fan of Ms Lance?" Dahrk asked.

"Not only still, Damien, _always_." Emily growled. "Because I _remember._ "

"Yes. I keep on wondering how you managed to regain _your_ memory after Sara put us back where we started when she destroyed the Spear and foiled our attempt to change reality. It took Nora performing a complicated spell for me to regain my life and then the memories I lost."

"I've had a fair share of dealing with various types of magic and mind manipulation, focusing on memory specifically. I took certain precautions, and they paid off." Emily said mysteriously, then shifted the subject slightly. "Nora is a very talented witch. This, combined with love gives one immense power. I'm not surprised she was able to bring you back."

Damien smiled softly as Emily continued: "All of that aside, Sara Lance, as well as whats-his-real-name, the Flash, do offend my intelligence," she huffed.

"How so?" Damien raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Well, they proclaim to be on a mission to save time, not interfere with it, eliminate the so-called 'time aberrations'. But they continuously do exactly the opposite: bend or break their own rules: they allow 'time aberrations' to happen when they choose to, because they get to resurrect or rescue their ancestors or friends. I mean, I'm all for it, getting to change time, bring your loved ones back. Just... call it as it is and don't split hairs. The Flash created the 'Flashpoint', changed Oliver's best friend's daughter into a son and they're still best buddies. I'm not saying I condone some of _your_ meddling with time episodes, but at least you never pretended to be saving the world in the process!"

Damien laughed again. "Your honesty is disarming, Ems. As to your earlier question... About why I stick with your 'mad' quest to bring Malcolm back..." His tone turned darker again. "I already told you how grateful I am to him for his support after Ruve was killed. Despite my long time in this world, I cannot say I have many people I would call friends, but… he definitely falls into that category. We had a rocky friendship at times, but I cherish it.

"I share your rebellion against meekly succumbing to one's mortality, when there are means by which one can make it a relic of the past. So, one might venture a guess that saving the world is actually what you're trying to do. Not just by finding the Pits and protecting them. There is much more to the plan, though, isn't there?"

Emily appreciated his quick thinking.

"Yes, there is," she admitted. "But Malcolm is key to all of it."

"Yes," Damien sighed. "From the second I met him, I knew there was something about that man. Something… monumental and beyond comprehension." He grew pensive for a while. "He struck out on the 'best daughter of the year lottery, though," he finally said in a hollow voice.

"Struck out? Try failed completely." Emily's voice was razor-sharp right now. "You gave your daughter to a daemon to get more power and all of Malolm's actions, however morally dubious, have always been to protect Thea, to make her into something more than just a mewling, drug addicted teenage dropout. He succeeded, but every step of the way, all he got was hatred, spite and betrayal. And still he tried. Until the very bitter end on Lian Yu. And even that wasn't enough for Ms Queen. Now she gets to go around wiping out his legacy, every smidgen of what he cared about, of what he created..

"You know, Damien, ever since Malcolm found out about her and decided to help her, it seemed like this invisible _leech_ attached itself to him, draining his strength. She flourished under his care while he withered away from all the mistrust, the betrayals, the quips, the accusations and complete lack of understanding.

"And yet he kept on giving, however little he had left in the end.

"And all he heard in these last moments, before they left him alone on that mine was that she didn't think of him as a father."

Tears threatened to overcome her, so she just shook her head, and wiped them away angrily.

"So, anyway, be glad you have Nora and protect her with all your might, Damien. I'm glad I can call her my friend. She is the kind of daughter every father deserves."

"Are you going to kill Thea?" Damien asked bluntly.

Now that was a loaded question, but it was clear Emily had given it a lot of morbid thought.

"I know Malcolm would hate me if I did. That's why I have several contingency plans to avoid such a situation. But if it comes to him or her, there will be no hesitation on my part, even if afterwards, Malcolm decides to destroy me. I would rather he be alive and hate me than love me and be dead."

This was too heavy even for someone like Damien Dahrk. He found himself at a loss for words.

"With all this talk, we managed to dally on the rest of the group somehow. How far do you think the Pit is?"

"A few miles, I reckon. But we can't trust my instinct blindly, just because I drank the Pit's waters several times. They call out to me, but it's very gentle. They keep us on the right tack, though."

"Well, we should also have Malus' promised contribution when we need it," Emily added.

She fell back a few paces to stay alone with her thoughts and focus on her surroundings.

The forest on both sides of the path was dense and murky. There were sounds of animals scurrying around, birds taking flight and communicating in their unique languages, wind blowing through the tree branches...all of it created a special melody, radiating with magic. Years ago, when Emily had started to study the secrets of the occult, she discovered she had a special affiliation with all the four elements, although her specialty was water in all of its forms. She heard the elements call out to her, making her feel welcome, but there was also some unrest in them, as if they sensed the source of immortality they guarded was in peril. Emily was glad of their readiness to help, but the unease was contagious.

To be truthful, she wasn't exactly sure what they were walking into. There were so many variables of what Nyssa and Thea might do and where they were, how much support they'd gathered. She fingered the container with Malcolm's ashes, her heart thudding in her chest with each step.

She rejoined the group and after a while, they arrived at a huge, moss-covered rock.

"I think this is the place," Damien said. "We should look for a cave."

They spread out to search, then Sabrina hailed them. The shrubbery around the rock was very thick and it took them a while to get there.

"Hang on," Nora said. "I hear some noises in the distance."

"We can deal with that later, I think Sabrina found the entrance," Damien said and they all gathered round him. They entered a massive cave. There were some unlit torches on the wall and a forest of cobwebs.

"Wow, this place has clearly not seen human presence for ages," Sabrina said as she lit the torches on the walls.

"I bet it has bats." Athena said. "I HATE bats!"

Damien laughed. "That is a sentiment you share with Malcolm".

"What?" she questioned.

"We were bored at some time during our quest for the Spear of Destiny while waiting for Thawne to show up, so we somehow ended up sharing our pet peeve stories. He told me he hated bats, but was sketchy about the details. Why the giggle, Emily?"

"Cause I know the details. Anyway, what is _your_ pet peeve, Damien?"

"Rats."

"Mine is bugs and insects." Emily made a disgusted expression. "And I'm only telling you this to be fair in the pet peeve sharing game no one informed me about."

Damien snorted. "It's not a competition."

Nora stifled a giggle. "Unfortunately, in the place we currently are, we will likely encounter all of your respective pet peeves and more. It's huge and ancient."

They spread out to explore it in search of the Pit, wary of potential traps. The corridors seemed to be endless, a maze radiating with magic.

Sabrina needed some help re-bandaging her wound, but Athena tended to her, and the pair continued on together.

Then, finally, there it was. The Pit, in all of it's white fog, rising up, the warmth that tempted with unspoken whispers: _come closer and feel LIFE…._

They approached it, cautiously. Damien consulted his men on commlinks to make sure the entrance to the cave was free of enemies. The connection crackled way too much for his comfort, but it was bound to be so in a place like this.

Nora sat down by the wall with Sabrina. They were still a little weakened from the previous fight. The Pit's vapors made them feel stronger.

Emily went to explore the place a bit.

Sabrina spoke to Nora a little, sensing the girl was somewhat uneasy.

Damien ventured into the corridors by himself, on a different route. His mind slipped into an unwanted memory lane, to a time when he'd made his escape from the League, decades ago. The bitterness of his parting with the then Ra's Al Ghul still stung, but not more so than the loss of his standing and later, of his wife.

He wasn't a sentimental type, but he did find himself recalling the good times with the League, the good times with Ruve. Perhaps Emily had brought out these feelings in him, with her innocence, her bravado, reminding him of days when he had been innocent himself. Not that she was really that innocent, but who ever is? Yet, she had this air about her, reminding him of the humanity he still had inside, despite of the times he had forgot it, when he went nuclear on the entire world and the like.

He must have become distracted by these thoughts because, quite suddenly, he felt a blow to his head and lost consciousness for a while.

When he came to, he found himself being dragged towards the main room by League-clad warriors, Nyssa walking close by. He checked his commlink, which was thankfully still working; his men were at high alert, but seemed confused.

"Emily," he whispered weakly. No response.

They dragged him into the main room. He saw Sabrina and Athena, their bows drawn, Nora with her knife out, facing Thea and Nyssa's warriors in an awkward standoff by the Pit.

Nyssa's men dropped him like a sack of potatoes at her feet. She kicked him in the stomach and he curled up around himself, retching slightly. His head was spinning, but he kept searching his suit for one of the hidden daggers.

"Don't bother, Dahrk," Nyssa laughed dismissively. "We're not here for you or your cheap tricks. We are here for Emily Carson. Show yourself, traitor!"

Sabrina and Nora moved slightly to the right, trying to improve their positions, because as things stood now, none of the sides was actually at an advantage of defending the Pit.

Nora's eyes glowed red as some of the League warriors neared Sabrina. They were too close for the woman to shoot arrows so she fended them off with blunt blows of her bow and hand to hand combat. Nora yelled and hurled her magic at the warriors, throwing them off their feet, making even Nyssa take a few steps back.

Damien struggled upwards, still dizzy, trying to unleash his own telekinesis to strangle Nyssa.

His concentration was interrupted by a whooshing sound of a figure jumping down from the dark higher level of the cave. She landed close to Nyssa and removed her hood in a swift movement.

It turned out to be Emily.

"Nyssa! I trust you are looking for me,"she growled. "Well, here I am!"

XxXxXxX


	9. Desperation

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Desperation**

 _ **Author's note**_ : _Keep your bows at the ready, fans!_

 **XxXxXxX**

 ** _League of Assassins' Lazarus Pit in California_**

Emily's bow was in her hand, her scimitar by her side. She looked fierce and ready for battle, Nyssa observed with reluctance.

"Ah, so the traitor has returned," she quipped.

"There's more than one traitor in this room, but it sure isn't me." Emily's flint-like glare was directed at Thea.

"You're calling ME a traitor?" the girl exclaimed. "After you led my brother on, pretending to be his friend?!"

"I was his friend, Thea! Just as I was yours! Before, in your mind, family stopped to mean something! Before you became an ungrateful, spoiled brat your father turned into a strong woman, before he DIED for you!" Emily breathed in heavily. "All the skills and opportunities you have, you got from him, and all you've always done is hate and belittle him, not to mention the fact you happily went on to destroy his legacy!" Emily snarled.

Thea started towards the woman, but Nyssa's voice stopped her. "Don't let her get a rise out of you," she warned.

"Oh, look who got herself a surrogate mommy to control her every move. Are you a good little puppet, Thea?" Emily mocked.

"The only reason I don't have a mother is Malcolm!"

"You must have hit your head sometime during this mad quest of yours and now you're experiencing memory problems," Emily said. "Malcolm sprang your mother from prison, while your dear brother's association with Slade Wilson is what got her killed. You witnessed it! Yet, dear Ollie still invited Slade to the anti-Adrian Chase party on Lian Yu and treated him as a pal afterwards. Curious."

"Malcolm killed my real father!"

"Wrong again," Emily sighed. "Robert Queen killed himself because he couldn't face up to his own mistakes and left Oliver with the mess he had made. He took a coward's way out. Your REAL father: Malcolm Merlyn, stepped on a mine for you after rescuing you MULTIPLE TIMES, risking everything, never expecting any thanks! Are we clear on that yet, Thea?! Because I'm getting really tired of having to reiterate the obvious."

"The only thing I am clear on is that I need to prevent you from resurrecting the monster who destroyed my life!"

Thea released an arrow, which Emily barely managed to dodge before Nyssa attacked her with a scimitar.

She parried the woman's blows, jumping around and dodging as Thea shot arrow after arrow at her - some kind a of a coordinated attack they must have practiced earlier, or Nyssa would have ended up shot by friendly fire.

"You have a strange approach to fairness in battle," Emily said with disdain.

"Al Saher also knew no fairness when he attacked me for the Lotus potion and manipulated Thea to kill Sara," Nyssa hissed.

"Oh please, not another recount of his 'misdeeds'," Emily rolled her eyes and attacked the other woman more viciously as her temper rose.

Of course, they would think of all Malcolm's actions as 'misdeeds', 'unforgivable sins' or 'abhorrent crimes' and of him as 'evil incarnate'.

"Hmm, I believe I managed to annoy little Ms Carson here," Nyssa commented with a smirk. Emily didn't react to the taunt. Thea finally ran out of arrows, so Emily had more attention to spare for battling Nyssa and to check quickly on how the other members of her team were faring.

Athena finally broke through the crowd and took on Thea, while Sabrina attacked some of Nyssa's warriors. Damien crawled away from the fray, chanting an incantation, probably some sort of a healing spell.

Nora's eyes burned wild red as she kept firing spell after spell at her opponents.

More people flooded the cave. They started to attack Nyssa's warriors. Emily concluded they were Damien's backup. They pushed through to aid Sabrina who was in over her head with Roy Harper and his goons.

Damien finally managed to get up, but was still unsteady on his feet. He used his telekinesis to choke or push away his opponents until he was well enough for hand to hand combat. Nora threw a regeneration spell at him so he would heal faster.

Athena got a vicious slash from Thea's scimitar and dropped her weapon, so she withdrew to stand at a distance on a higher perch and shot arrows at Thea - a twisted response to the girl's earlier tactic.

' _Nice one, Athena!'_ Emily allowed herself a brief smile for her friend.

"You're feeling triumphant already? Why?" Nyssa panted.

"Because unlike you, I know what I'm fighting for," Emily said. The sparks from her scimitar glittered in the torchlight as their weapons clashed. "You, I cannot figure out, Nyssa. Everything you do seems to be out of senseless spite. You were hunting Malcolm down because he broke the League's code, and then you gladly betrayed your father for Oliver- perhaps because you finally realized daddy dearest would never make you the leader. Then you destroyed the waters of the Pit, even though they'd brought your Beloved Sara back and she was eventually fine.

"Malcolm showed you mercy for your betrayal, although he should have executed you on the spot! Then, you tried to blackmail him with the Lotus potion, which we still don't know will work on Thea permanently. When you finally had the Daemon's Head ring on your finger, you disbanded the League, leaving thousands of trained killers with no job. Honestly, what were you thinking? That they'd go work at a grocery store?!"

That clearly hit a nerve. Nyssa attacked Emily with more anger.

"Don't like what you hear?" the black-clad archeress mocked as she parried the woman's increasingly vicious blows.

"I think I need to stop this silly exchange," came Thea's voice as she blocked Emily's strike before Nyssa could parry.

"Ganging up again, I see?" Emily said.

"No. Stand down, Nyssa. This one is mine," Thea said, and the older woman withdrew.

Emily glanced towards Athena and noticed Thea had given her a nasty wound.

Nora wasn't faring any better. Roy and his friends had her pinned down against the wall. Outnumbered, she barely managed to hold her own.

Sabrina was doing an amazing job, her Katana cutting down Nyssa's goons with the skill worthy of Al Saher himself.

Emily threw a smile at her friend, then focused on Thea.

"I thought your father taught you better than to shoot at a skilled warrior," she referred to Thea's earlier shooting while parrying the girl's blows.

"Your hubris is unbecoming, Emily. I expected my excuse of a father would choose a more worthy companion."

Emily refused to be taunted by Thea's quip. "In case you forgot, that 'excuse of a father' rescued your mom from jail where she would have died for her part in the Undertaking, then taught you to be a warrior and took your place on a landmine. Just a mention, in case you forgot. Minor fact," Emily spat sarcastically and threw herself at Thea, her eyes dark with overpowering wrath.

"You don't know the hell I went through when he 'trained' me," Thea shouted, parrying Emily's blows.

"In order to forge steel, you need fire," Emily quoted Malcolm and jumped closer, her sword clashing against Thea's weapon with such momentum that she was forced to retreat a few steps. "What do you really want to accomplish here, Thea?" Emily panted. "Erase every mark of your father's existence? Forget every kindness he ever showed you? Condemn him for his very human mistakes?"

Thea's attacks became more aggressive, risky and wild.

And definitely much stronger.

Emily gave her no ground, enraged and determined.

"Will you ever get it through your THICK head that your father did all those morally dubious things to protect you?! Don't you think he wished it could have been different? Do you think one becomes a warrior of your skill by being coddled?!"

"Wow, a compliment from the famous Emily Carson herself," Thea panted.

"Not a compliment, just a statement of a fact to an idiot who has a brain small enough to step on a mine!" Emily growled as she threw a vicious blow at the girl.

"I was walking through a frikking forest on a foreign island!"

"All the more reason to watch your fucking step!" Emily shouted.

"Well, I would, if Malcolm hadn't distracted me with all this pathetic talk of how he 'loves' me."

This was the last straw. Emily roared and hit Thea with the pommel of her sword. "You _clueless fool_!" She screamed. "What part of 'a child does not need to ask this of a father' didn't you understand? I was there, in the distance, you _idiot_ , I heard the entire thing on comminks!"

"Well, then you heard how foolish he was!"

That did it. Emily launched herself at Thea, hand to hand combat, vicious and unforgiving. Then she grabbed her favorite knife, given to her by Malcolm, and Thea used the one she had from Oliver. It seemed like a fight to the death, but Emily was faced with a conundrum. Thea was Malcolm's daughter. However much she wanted to, she couldn't kill her. Thea did not have such qualms.

Athena was wounded by Thea's earlier blow, bleeding heavily. Sabrina came to her aid, but was forced to stave off Roy and his horde of goons, fighting her way towards Emily to help her. Nora abandoned her opponents as well to do the same.

"Don't, I got this!" Emily yelled.

Roy cut Sabrina viciously with his sword. A dart to the abdomen temporarily took Nora out. Emily was so distracted by her friends getting hurt that Thea managed to slip behind her and grab her in a choke-hold.

Damien focused on Nyssa and tried to choke her with his telekinesis, but she fought through it, and was getting closer and closer to the Pit.

Thea tightened her choke-hold and slowly lowered Emily towards the ground. Nyssa turned around, now completely free from Damien's powers and threw Emily a disdainful smile.

"You know, Ms Carson... When one looks to the past, something becomes painfully obvious. _Failure_ was always Al Saher's destiny. He _failed_ to protect his wife from harm, _failed_ to avenge her with the Undertaking, _failed_ to save his son. He _failed_ to make his only daughter love him, _failed_ as a leader of the League, _failed_ to hold on to the Spear of Destiny...And YOU. I _pity_ you. A stupid, pathetic dreamer, who fell in love with him, blundering after him into one mistake after another. And this is what you get today" Nyssa suspended her voice as she lifted a vial of swirling liquid, 'Another failure," she finished and dropped the vial into the Pit.

Emily freed herself from Thea's chokehold by using a maneuver Malcolm had taught her. She ran towards the Pit, but wasn't quick enough.

Like in a perverted version of a slow motion movie, she watched the vial fall into the Pit.

The scream that tore out of her throat was an unearthly wail that echoed against the walls of the cave. A primal, murderous and helplessly angry sound, indescribable and petrifying.

After...

There was silence. Deafening, lonely silence. Absolute absence of sight and sound.

When it came back, it was soft and melodic. Waves, quiet, like that of a lake. Emily opened her eyes and saw water, gently flipping against the rock she was lying on. The instant she remembered what had happened was the end of her calmness. All she was left with was her failure. The water in the Pit was an ugly, poisonous purple. Sometimes roiling, sometimes eerily calm, but still, devoid of the powers it once had.

"Emily,'" came Sabrina's soft, hesitant question. "Ems?"

"I'm alive," Emily reassured her best friend in a hoarse voice. "But what good does it do if Malcolm never will be?"

Sabrina held her in her arms for a moment, then led her to a dry rock a few steps away from the Pit and gently checked her for injuries. Aside from some scratches and bruises, she appeared to be fine. Physically, at least. Her heart was a different question. "Ems, there are more Pits, we still have a chance," Sabrina reassured her firmly.

"Judging by how we fared today, I think our chances are slim to none."

"So what? You're giving up?!" Sabrina exclaimed.

"Never," Emily said with vehemence. "Have you met me yesterday? I'm not letting go of him that easily."

"What then?"

"We forget these odds and change tactics."

Sabrina nodded without asking for details. Something in Emily's expression made her decide she didn't really want to know until she absolutely had to. She checked up on Athena and Nora. None of them were hurt too badly, which was a relief. Damien's men were a different story. The bloodshed was brutal. Sabrina nodded at the ones still standing, then walked among the ones on the ground to check for survivors. Precious few gave signs of life; Nora performed her healing spells on those who still stood a chance.

Emily walked among them for a while as well, but then the amount of gore became too much for her. She felt drawn towards the Pit. She stared at its damaged waters. In a sudden, mad thought, she considered jumping in.

Would a damaged Pit have the opposite effect to one that is intact? If she dove into its depths, would it kill her and maybe...reunite her with Malcolm? It was a very tempting idea, and the gentle waves beckoned her with their seductive movement.

Emily took a few paces forward until she stood right on the rocky edge of the Pit. It would be so easy...

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around, annoyed at the disturbance and saw Damien Dahrk. She tried to shake him off, but his grip was very firm.

"Don't you even dare," he said in a steely tone.

"Why do you, of all people, care?"

"Because you're better than this. You're not a coward. You're a fighter. And besides that, I did not drive here through half of America on a mission which ends with you killing yourself."

Emily couldn't help but laugh. "If this were to be your version of talking a suicidal person out of, say, jumping off a cliff, I'm not sure of the outcome. _So_ self-centered."

"Well, I'm not in the business of rescuing suicidal people, but if I were of the mind, I guess I could always use my telekinetic abilities to levitate them back."

"And then you'd be a superhero."

"Not one of my ambitions," Damien snorted.

"Hey, just a suggestion. But thank you for what you did here. I honestly was tempted for a while."

"You're welcome," Damien said. "Now that you've hopefully come back to your senses, what's next?" he asked somberly.

"You won't like what I have in mind."

Damien looked at her questioningly.

Emily smiled darkly. "Haven't you wondered why our mighty daemon ally, who promised to help me, was conspicuously absent during the battle? Nora has independent powers given to her by Malus, am I right?"

"Yes."

"So she fought on her own. Where was HE?"

"Daemons are fickle," Damien sighed.

"Not with me, they aren't." Emily said darkly.

"Ems, you're not going to-" he started with apprehension.

"Oh, like hell I'm "not!" She exclaimed. You forget Sabrina and I practiced occult magic, so I'm not 'new' to daemons."

"Emily, Malus is one of the most powerful daemons known to-" Damien exclaimed, but Emily had already closed her eyes and started chanting the appropriate incantation.

When she opened her eyes again, it was not to the cave with the ruined Pit.

She was in a burned forest, a wild wind howling through what was left of the branches.

"Quit it with the cheap horror movie tricks, Malus. I don't have time for them!" Emily shouted in a confident voice, struggling to keep her growing terror at bay.

A dark clad figure appeared out of nowhere and hovered over her threateningly.

"How dare you trespass in my realm, human?!" Malus roared.

"How dare you renege on a deal I've made with you?" Emily roared back. She knew she was probably an inch from being brutally murdered, but for Malcolm, she would have done anything.

The figure landed and approached her. She half expected him to kill her on the spot, but he just removed his hood and regarded her with a pinning glare.

"I don't appreciate being accosted by mere minions and disturbed by their puny whims," he growled.

"Well, tough luck, you are getting 'accosted'. What else do you do all day anyway? Create depressing landscapes? Practice scary voices? Disembowel little children? If that's your game, you should offer your services to some tyrant. We have enough of them in our world. Personally, I'd recommend North Korea, in case you're in a pinch for a choice."

 _You're mental, Ems,_ Sabrina's words rang through Emily's ears.

 _Right you are,_ Emily thought. But then again, she was all in, come hell and high water. No daemon scared her more than a life without Malcolm.

"You come here, disturb me and then offend me?" Something changed in Malus' features. He actually smiled.

Emily backed away from sheer shock rather than fear.

"Wha-" She started to exclaim.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you."

"Then what? Possess me and make me go all 'Blair Witch Project 'on the whole world? "

Malus broke out in laughter then.

"No," he said after he calmed down.

"Actually, I am going to help you because you're the first one in ages to show up here, offend me, and then not start running for your life. You have true courage."

"I didn't come here just to run away. So, help me."

'Are you sure you are ready? It's not going to be pleasant."

"Just do it Malus, whatever it is," Emily said impatiently.

"Let me explain a little first: you will have to go through a sort of transfusion. All of your blood will be drained out and then, you will receive it back, with an added mixture I have concocted. The only reason I'm saying this to you is that because of some stupid occult law, I need your consent."

He was barely done speaking when Emily said, "You have my consent."

"Alright," Malus replied in a somewhat surprised voice. "Don't move an inch and however much pain you feel, don't utter a single sound."

Emily nodded and steeled herself. After a few moments she felt a pair of strong hands grip her arms. "Don't move," she heard Malus' voice. He was now so close she could feel his breath on her face. He started an incantation in a language she didn't know. At first, Emily just felt lightheaded. Then the pain came. It claimed her slowly and gradually. It was as if someone were ripping her very bone marrow out, not only blood. Just when she thought it had reached its peak, it went higher and higher.

 _Don't move or scream,_ she repeated the words in her mind like a mantra.

She felt Malus' grip tighten as she could no longer stand on her own from blood-loss. The pain disappeared. She was floating in a sort of dark grey fog that seemed to swirl around her and inside her. Slowly, her consciousness drifted away.

"Now wake up! Wake up! I command you to WAKE up!"

Emily came to, surprised that she was still standing. Malus must have used his powers to keep her upright.

"You can move and speak now," came his sharp voice.

She suddenly felt her body, but her feet gave under her and she collapsed against Malus, ending up in a weird embrace with him.

"You've done well," he said.

"What?" Emily rasped, her head pounding. "I feel like I failed miserably!"

"You didn't. All the other people I tried this spell with had died."

Emily regained her footing and shoved him away with anger.

"What?! So I was an _experiment_?"

"A successful one," Malus smirked.

"What exactly have you done to me?" Emily whispered with apprehension.

"Don't worry. You should be proud, in fact. You are the first one to claim this honor," Malus said with maddening smugness. "For ages, my minions tended to go mad, wither, or become too clingy, because I had complete control over them, so they became addicted to my constant presence. That was not the effect I wanted. But I have had a lot of time to improve the procedure. The concoction that is now running through your blood gives you powers, makes you connected to me. It also makes you... special."

Emily turned around and walked a few paces as if she was trying to shake off her ordeal. Then she walked up to Malus and slapped him across the face.

The force of the blow was such that he almost fell over. "I. Am. Not. A. Fucking. _Experiment!_ " She spat,emphasizing each word.

"Good, you're a strong one," he said when he straightened up.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm not a horse! It's what you say about horses: 'oh, she's a strong one, that mare!' I don't know how old you are, but your manners are similar to that of a slave owner from before the Civil War and I'd count that as a compliment!"

"Are you done venting?" Malus asked with his usual maddening smugness.

"Venting?!" Emily shouted. "If I went on a venting spree on you, you'd need to write it down in VOLUMES!"

Malus refrained from laughter, surprising her with his gentle tone."I know your history, Emily Carson. This is why I called you strong. I did not mean it in a dismissive way. You've been through so much in you're life, yet you've prevailed and keep on fighting."

Emily nodded in recognizance to his subtle compliment.

"I'm going to send you back to your friends now," he said and she felt as if she were being pulled into a tunnel, then lost consciousness.

She faintly heard a murmur of concerned voices, which eventually started to sound desperate.

"Emily!"

She opened her eyes to see Damien Dahrk's concerned expression. She looked around groggily, trying to get her bearings.

She was propped against a wall in the Pit cave. Sabrina, Athena and Nora were crouching around her.

"Well, finally!" Sabrina sighed, hiding the concern for her friend behind a facade of exasperation. "This Malus idiot put you in a hell of a coma. You were out for hours!"

"I'm fine. What about Nyssa and the rest?" Emily asked.

"Oh, you hadn't noticed? They hightailed it after you turned into a murderous banshee. Celine Dion has nothing on you in terms of vocal chords. My ears are still ringing." Sabrina paused. "I'm sorry, that was way inappropriate. Stress humor. I'm glad to have you back, Ems."

"I'm glad to be back. Sort of."

Emily's eyes inevitably traveled towards the Pit and the others couldn't help but look as well. Only Damien followed her.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to jump in," she said quietly, holding the container with Malcolm's ashes close to her chest.

"It's my fault," Damien said. "I should never have let Nyssa get so close to the Pit with that vial."

"Don't blame yourself, Damien. Nyssa's days of ruining Malcolm's legacy are numbered." Emily's voice was low and had an eerie, otherworldly undertone to it.

"Wh-" Damien begun, but then she turned towards him and he just gaped at the sight. "You have nothing to fear, but she and her friends are in for a world of pain."

Damien withdrew a few steps in shock.

Emily's entire eyes were pitch black.

 **XxXxXxX**

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Dark, isn't it? :P_


	10. Strategy

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Strategy**

 **Author's note:** _It took me a while to return to this story, so here is a recap of what's been happening:_

 _Emily and her team found the location of another Lazarus Pit in California. Unfortunately, Nyssa and Thea destroyed it. Here is our heroes, doing the best they can to bring Malcolm back and reunite him with Oliver against their common enemies._

XxXxXxX

Time came to say goodbye to the damaged Lazarus Pit in California, but Emily lingered on.

Damien made sure his second in command escorted those of his men that had survived to an out-of-the-way location to regroup and await further orders, then went back into the cave. He saw Emily still staring at the Pit waters, as if hypnotised.

"I'm sorry," he said, approaching her. "I should have done better, used my skills instead of blundering about like an idiot."

"None of us performed to the best of our ability, Damien. We were taken by surprise. I hadn't expected Nyssa to have such an advantage in numbers. Please, don't make things worse by beating yourself up about it."

She turned to look at him. Her eyes were back to their usual stormy blue, but he knew the black would return the moment she needed to use the skills Malus had given her to a level he was afraid to ask about.

"Let's go. There is nothing left for us here," she said sadly.

"Emily, I have _no idea_ where the next Pit is," he responded.

"I do.," Tthe detached confidence in her voice was unnerving. "Cambodia, somewhere in the mountains. I remember Malcolm mention something about a unique place there during his research at Nanda. I don't know whether or not he put that one on the map Nyssa has."

Emily'd discovered that Malus' transfusion appeared to have done wonders for her memory and concentration skills. She recalled things much more clearly than before. It was as if her mind could travel to a certain point in time, revisit it and notice what she had previously missed.

Damien nodded without saying anything, but she sensed the disapproval and concern radiating from him. It made her wonder. What exactly had Malus done to her? He'd been awfully mysterious about the procedure and its long-term effects.

All she knew was that she felt different... _within_ and the world around her felt different to her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but knew the others would notice it too and she didn't feel like answering questions now, especially ones she didn't have answers to. She marched out of the cave and started walking through the forest, ignoring everyone else.

"Just give her some space,." Sabrina said in response to their confused glances."She's been through so much."

Emily walked and walked, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, the forest path started to remind her all too much of the one on Lian Yu, where Malcolm had perished.

The words Nyssa had spoken just before she dropped the vial into the Pit rang in her mind.

' _Failure was always Al-Saher's destiny.'_

' _And you, I pity you. A stupid, pathetic dreamer who fell in love with him, blundering after him into one mistake after another. And this is what you get today: another failure."_

The words echoed inside Emily's head like a relentless chant, intertwined with flashes of the explosion on Lian Yu and the black smoke, of the vial falling into the Pit and spreading its poison, while all she could do was scream helplessly. Victory always slightly out of reach - both on that God-forsaken island and here in the cave.

Failure. This is how Nyssa Al-Ghul summed up Malcolm Merlyn's life. Well, the facts were there, but Nyssa had twisted them. Malcolm had endured so many disappointments and heartbreak that it would be too much to bear even if one divided them between ten men. And yet, he never gave up. He kept rising up and trying again.

Emily remembered all those times, knew the tremendous courage and pain it took. And each time he managed to survive and even help those that despised him, be it Oliver, Thea, or any member of Team Arrow. And yet, they couldn't even manage a simple 'thank you'. They were perfectly ready with quips about how he was like a cockroach, bound to survive the Apocalypse itself and other similarly low blows like that. Malcolm had endured it all with that unreadable, Sphinx-like expression on his face, but what was going on beneath the unfazed exterior, in his heart?

Then an agonizing thought hit her. What did he feel when he stood on that landmine, alone, seconds after Thea disavowed him as her father and ran away with the others? What did he feel, knowing his decision meant no coming back, that the buck stopped right there. Did his life flash before his eyes as a sequence of failures and mistakes, or was he too busy strategizing for the best way to trick Boomerang Harkness and his goons into coming up as close to him as possible?

Was he afraid? Sad? Resigned?

It was probably all of those things. No matter how the others belittled him and his motives, Emily knew the enormous range of emotions the Dark Archer posessed.

She knew, because they were kindred spirits and she often felt the same and could read him better than anyone. She saw the man behind the 'monster'. Which did not make things any easier for her now. Her own emotions were tearing through her like a tornado.

A strange feeling overcame her. She stopped and turned left, onto a very narrow pathway, almost entirely overgrown with greenery. She continued on, looking around, hoping against hope that Malcolm would come out from amongst the trees and tell her that all of it had just been a nightmare, that he was alive and well and that they would go on to have a wonderful life together.

Then the harsh truth hit her yet again, and her longing for him made her double over and collapse to her knees. She started crying quietly, sobs coming in bitter, painful waves. Life without him made no sense, it felt unreal, as if she herself wasn't even there; just a shadow, an interplay of light and darkness that couldn't control anything, couldn't quench the pain and anger that tore through her soul.

She didn't have the strength to scream, she lost her sense of time.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching.

"Malcolm?" she rasped in a mad hope, then turned around.

"No, it's just me," Damien Dahrk said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry to dissapoint."

"Um, no; I apologise uh, I should have known better, I…," she whispered, embarassed.

"No need to explain, Emily. I know," he said and helped her up. "After what happened to Ruve, I…Whenever I heard footsteps, I'd turn around, expecting it to be her…Whenever I saw a brunette with a similar hairstyle as hers, I thought-" His voice went quiet and he lowered his eyes.

"I understand," Emily said, putting a hand on his arm. "And it never stops hurting, but... _I don't want it to stop,_ because if it does, then there is nothing left for me, you know? I don't WANT to forget, move on, let go… If this pain is all I have, then I will cling to it, because in some twisted manner, it's a part of him…"

Damien nodded and they ended up holding each other, an unlikely pair sharing their grief in silence.

Damien was the first one to pull away. "We better rejoin the others or they will start to suspect I came after you to hurt you. I'm under no illusion that they trust me."

Emily threw him a tired smile and followed him back to the main path.

They met the rest of the group near a wider clearing. Emily did not comment on the tear marks still staining her cheeks. When she spoke, her tone was businesslike.

"Back at the cave, I told Damien we should go to Cambodia, as it is the next likely location of a Pit, but that's not what we will be doing. Our strategy clearly didn't work here and I have no reason to believe it will work there. In fact, we don't even know that's where they're going. But I'm done chasing after Nyssa and that brat and watching them destroy everything Malcolm has worked so hard for."

"What are we going to do then?" Athena asked.

"We are going to Nanda Parbat."

The entire group looked confused.

"Hera, the Pit at Nanda Parbat has already been destroyed, what's the use of going back there?" Athena questioned, reverting to Emily's Thanatos Guild name.

"Because Nanda Parbat was Malcolm's main base when he was Resh. After Nyssa destroyed the Pit there, aside from looking for the other Pits around the world, Malcolm and I took refuge in the Labyrinth, the Thanatos Guild base of operations, while he and I started research on the possible ways to restore the Nanda Pit and find the other ones. I was in and out of the Guild back then on various missions, so I don't know the details, or how much progress he made."

"But you know that despite the disbandment of the League, some warriors faithful to Nyssa remained at Nanda Parbat because they couldn't even imagine living a different life," Athena said. "We are bound to run into them if we go there."

Emily snorted. "Yes, I know she created some sort of unofficial 'Nyssa's League' or whatever the hell it is to compensate for her daddy issues, but most of them are now with her on the mission to destroy the Pits, which means Nanda Parbat has much fewer guards and some of them I know for a fact are still secretly loyal to Malcolm's memory and despise Nyssa. Allowing Oliver to fight for her in that duel with Malcolm was a huge no-no for the more traditionalist members, and the disbandment was like spitting in the faces of many true believers in the League's cause. Those are the ones she most likely left behind."

"So, we completely abandon the search for the other Pits?" Sabrina asked.

"No. We will split up, and increase our numbers. You all need to reach out to every contact you know you can trust, call in every favor, but do so with the utmost discretion. We will need an army to pull this off."

"How do we divvy up?" Damien asked, ever the practical one.

"Athena, Damien, me and those League warriors who are now loyal to me will take on Nanda, Emily said. "Sabrina, Nora and some of Damien's men will be on Pit duty, or rather Nyssa and Thea duty. They can't realize I'm not following the Pits any longer, because it would make them suspicious, so you should employ guerilla tactics - sabotage them in any way you can without being seen, create the illusion that I am with you."

"That makes sense." Sabrina nodded and the others confirmed their aquiescence.

"Alright then, let's go back to the gas station and get somewhere more civilized, so we can start gathering up our allies."

XxXxXxX

 _ **Silver Star Hotel, Los Angeles, California**_

Emily gazed out of the window of their penthouse suite at one of the newest and most exclusive hotels in L.A. She had booked the entire floor to ensure privacy. It was a splurge, but the team deserved some relaxation and pampering after all they've been through, and besides, she could more than afford it. The deciding point was that the establishment had one of the most impervious security systems known to man, making it the perfect place for members of the team to refine strategy and start reaching out to their contacts.

They were all gathered in the main room, either on their phones or laptops, making arrangements, snacking, joking around to let off steam after what they'd been through in the cave. Emily nursed her glass of vodka on ice, eyes glued to the glittering lights of Hollywood below them. She heard footsteps and turned around to see Damien Dahrk approach her, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"You know, it's weird, but it seems like just an hour ago, we were at the Hollywood Walk of Stars by the Frank Sinatra one you and Malcolm are so obsessed about." Damien said.

"Yes. Only because of Thawne rushing things and the Legends interfering, Malcolm never got to go there," Emily said in a melancholy voice that turned to steel within seconds. "But we WILL go there, him and I, after all this Nyssa nonsense is dealt with."

"I have no doubt about it," Damien smiled and clinked his glass against Emily's.

"Thanks." Emily took a sip of her drink, then turned to him. "You want to ask me something," she said.

"Yes, I do," he admitted. He swallowed thickly and continued after a beat, "Do you know what exactly Malus did to you when you called upon him in the cave?"

There was a moment of silence, then Emily answered.

"An experiment."

"What?!" Damien exclaimed in shock. "What on Earth do you mean by 'experiment'? Could you just drop the suspense and be more specific? We're not talking about the plot of some latest Hollywood blockbuster!" he added in a frustrated tone.

Emily nodded and took a deep breath before she spoke, "He didn't make me privy to the details of this experiment, but he said it was a success. It consisted of him giving me a sort of tranfusion. He siphoned off my blood, then mixed it with some sort of supernatural essence and pumped it back into me again. He said it connects me with his world, but that he won't be able to control me like a puppet."

"And you believe him?" Damien asked.

"I believe he has an agenda of his own and much of it overlaps with mine. For some reason he wants the Pits restored or rescued as much as I do. And if he tries something underhanded, I still have my own magic to fall upon."

"Do you feel any different?"

"Yes. More powerful, defnitely, more connected to the elements and less prone to exhaustion. I guess the full extent of the changes will reveal itself once I'm faced with a trying situation."

Dahrk nodded and Emily changed the subject slightly. "Listen, Damien, I think I owe you an apology. Back in the forest, when I explained our new strategy, I sort of comandeered some of your men to go with Sabrina and Nora without asking you first. I don't want it to seem like I'm overruling you or anything like that."

Damien threw her a barely-there smile of appreciation. "I didn't take it as such; it is a smart move. Each quest needs a leader and I know that in this case, it's you. Still, I'm glad you respect our partnership enough to tell me this. I also have a suggestion to make. Send some of the League warriors loyal to you with Nora and Sabrina as well. It will be easier to trick and confuse Nyssa this way, especially if they don't remove their hoods too often."

"That's a good idea." Emily smiled and went off to share the plan with Sabrina. Among others, they chose a woman of similar height to Emily's and told her what was required. She was supposed to stick close to Sabrina and exude an air of confidence and leadership as if she were Emily. She seemed up to the task. Athena said that Malcolm had noticed her talent when he became Resh and had trusted her enough to give her several missions for the Thanatos Guild.

Her real name was Blair, her League pseudonym was Hirba, which meant 'chameleon' in Arabic - quite promising for her current task. Still, Emily preferred to check the girl out herself, spend some time with her before they abandoned the safety of the Silver Star Hotel.

She invited her to a side room where she waited with Damien. Blair entered with a confident stride, her hood removed, her hairstyle and haircolor already identical to Emily's. She bowed respectfully to them both.

"It is an honor to be of service to you, Hera," she said.

"And I thank you for your loyalty to the true Resh."

Then came the time for tests: Damien and Emily needed to see Blair interact with them on an equal level, without showing subservience or hesitation. She passed all of them with flying colors.

Emily took a little time to converse with Blair casually. The girl came from a rich New York business family, but corporate espionage and crime had forced her to become a warrior in order to protect those she loved. They had a lot in common, and Emily emerged from the conversation certain she'd made the right choice.

XxXxXxX

After they all enjoyed a good night's rest, time came to put their plans into action. The entire day passed while they perfected their tactics, figured out last-minute questions and doubts. The previous night, Emily had contacted her father and both hers and Malcolm's friends: Kevin Mac Douggal and Tim Kent, former agents of the CIA and MI6 respectively. Kevin was to join Sabrina and Blair's group, while Tim was to rendes-vous with Emily and Damien. Emily's father's men were to split, half of them reinforcing her ranks, half of them Sabrina's.

When sunset began to fall again on the hills of Hollywood, Emily addressed her warriors in the main room of the Silver Star Hotel.

"You all know the strategy, you all know the details and our covert means of communication. We have no idea whether our enemies are observing us or not, which is why you, Sabrina, along with Blair and Kevin, will make a spectacle of driving away to a jet that'll take you to the location of the Pit in Cambodia; one of Nyssa Al Ghul's potential targets. You MUST make it seem like all of us are leaving. The advantage here is that our enemies don't know how many of us have perished in the cave, so they will not be concerned about exact numbers, as long as you provide appropriate cover for us.

"My group must slip away unnoticed and make our way to Nanda Parbat. We move out in 30 minutes. Good luck."

XxXxXxX

It was around 1 am when the parking lot of the Silver Star Hotel in the Hollywood Hills was lit up by the headlights of several Jeep Wranglers. Numerous unrecognizable figures in hoods and military gear made their way towards the vehicles, jumping in while a female in League uniform barked out orders in a modified voice: "Don't dally, our air transport to Cambodia won't wait a second longer than I've instructed! Come on, come on, come on!"

A hidden figure watching the proceedings from nearby bushes turned on its commlink. _"You were right, Nyssa."_ Roy Harper said. " _Emily Carson and her posse are heading for Cambodia, like we suspected."_

" _Good. Get here as soon as possible, we will prepare an appropriate welcome for them,"_ Nyssa drawled.

XxXxXxX

Emily and her warriors spent some time crouching among the bushes in the most secluded area they could find until the last sounds of their enemies' vehicles died down. Their night vision goggles and thermal imaging gear showed no obstacles, so they made their way to the chopper that waited in the clearing only a few miles away.

Emily smiled as she noticed the familiar shape of the modernized PZL W-3 Falcon, produced in the country of her birth - Poland, and by now, equipped with the latest tech and weaponry the world had to offer.

"Hi, Dad," she said to the man piloting the aircraft. "Hi, James Bond," she turned to Timothy Kent, who helped her climb onboard.

"007, at your service, Ems," Tim joked in his flawless British accent.

"Why, thank you, sir," she replied in the same tone, then turned to her father as she strapped in. "Dad, I thought you hated choppers!"

"Well, a certain daughter of mine told me it does one good to get out of their comfort zone sometimes, and I decided to listen."

Emily smiled, "That's a load of bull, Dad. You love it and you know it. Come on: offroad driving, cars that reach a gazilion miles per second when racing, not to mention how excited you get when our jet takes to flight."

"Okay, fine, whatever you say," Carson said as he manouvered the chopper south. "Speaking of jets, the Hussaria is ready to take you from the Hawaiian coast to the Hindu Kush mountains, you only need to tell the pilot where to land."

"Don't worry, Dad, I know just the place." Emily smiled. "And thank you, for all your help. I know I never made it easy for you to be a parent."

John Carson turned his head away from the machinery for a second to throw his daughter an impatient glare. "Stop this nonsense, Ems! You know I don't like it. And you know how proud I am of you! The next part of our strategy is already underway. I'll be in charge of it right after I drop you off by the jet in Hawaii."

Emily tried her best not to tear up. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered, putting her hand on his gently.

Damien and the rest strapped in at the back, and they flew away. A few hours later, they made their landing at a private airport in Hawaii, where one of the jets John Carson owned was already waiting, its engines warming. It had the _Hussaria_ logo written on it, nothing connecting it to the Carson Motors company Emily's father owned and she was a board member of.

"Good luck, darling, we'll be in touch," Carson said as they hugged briefly and the others disembarked. Emily jumped out after them and they boarded the Hussaria.

"Whoa, that's what I call traveling in style," Damien said, observing the luxurious decor and facilities.

"Don't let the appearances fool you, Damien," Emily said. "It is actually a fighter jet disguised as a luxury aircraft, armed with small rocket launchers, laser beam weaponry the military hasn't yet even heard of, not to mention a full camouflage shield and a small arsenal in the luggage hull. And lots of other special adjustments," Emily added vaguely.

"Well well well, and here I thought Carson Motors was just a very prestigious luxury car company," Damien remarked.

"There is a lot you don't know about me or my family, or the company," Emily said with a mysterious smile.

"Well, I guess I should have known there'd be secrets and hidden treasures, given what you do for a living, Emily," Damien responded.

Emily smiled. "Now, why don't you stop overthinking things and enjoy some of the best champagne money can buy, and mingle. I decided it's the least I could do after we had to rough it out driving through most of America in pursuit of the LA Pit." She handed him a glass and took one of her own, then turned to face none other than Timothy Kent.

"Well, hello again, my own James Bond. I'm really glad to have you on the team. And well..." She regarded him with a smile. "Trust you to bring a tux to a raiding party. You look dashing as ever."

"Trust you to bring a killer dress," he said as they clinked glasses and she downed hers.

"Well, people in our profession have to learn how to seize the moment." She sighed. "Now, shall we get down to strategy? Will your MI6 contacts be in place when we land as we discussed?"

"Ever the businesswoman," Tim commented. "Yes, they will be. Here are the special encrypted commlinks your team will need to use to coordinate with us." He handed her a small baggie and she slipped it into her purse.

"And there is a lookout there already, casing the place?"

"Yes, just as you requested."

"Good. Tim, you know how much I depend on this going well. I might put on a brave face, but each second I spend without Malcolm is hell on earth," she breathed, struggling not to tear up.

He put his arm around her in a comforting manner. "I know, Ems. He is my best friend, but I can imagine how much harder it is for you, and I promise you, we will bring him back, even if I have to recruit the entire frikking MI6."

"I will recruit the Queen of England herself if I have to," Emily said in an eerily dark tone as a strange feeling overcame her. "Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies'," she said, lowering her head.

She ran inside, swung the lock shut and stood over the sink, panting, then looked into the mirror. Her eyes were pitch black. She gasped, then breathed in, deeply, several times. Eventually, she noticed he eyes slowly returned to their normal color.

When she exited the bathroom, Timothy was waiting for her with a concerned expression. "Ems, are you okay?"

"Yes. I mean, I will be once I contact one of my... sources and get some answers. I'll do that when we land."

XxXxXxX

 _ **Author's note:**_ _A bit of a cliffhanger here, people. Expect some goodness the next chappie and it's coming soon! Fancy some Dark Archer? Not promising anything, but, well…:p_


	11. Of Daemons and Men

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Of Daemons and Men**

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Here we continue._

XxXxXxX

 ** _Secret MI6 airstrip, Hindu Kush Mountain Area_**

The Hussaria jet touched land smoothly. The passengers disembarked and the pilot switched on the camouflage shield.

Damien turned and gasped in wonder. "Wow, it looks as if it isn't even there. You're giving the makers of the Waverider a run for their money."

"When one has powerful enemies, one needs to pull out all the stops," Emily said darkly.

Damien nodded in agreement. They hiked for about an hour and made camp in a secluded area as they contacted their MI6 allies.

Emily addressed them in the main tent. "We all know what our strategy is. We make our move at sunrise. Now, rest up, everyone. Damien, a word if you please."

He nodded and waited until they were alone in the tent, then approached her, a concerned look on his face, clearly sensing from her expression that something was wrong.

"What is it, Emily?"

"There was a situation on the plane, of the daemonic kind."

"Wh-what exactly?" Damien asked.

"I felt weird, so I had to run to the ladies' to hide it. It passed, but you're the only one I can talk to about it, and…" she took a deep breath. "You know what I have to do. I need to get answers from Malus, find a way to control it."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I noticed a secluded place where I can contact him in private. I can't do it here for risk of exposure. Damien, I need you to stay in this tent and hold down the fort in case someone decides to drop by with questions about the mission and wonders where I am. Tell them I took a walk to clear my head and am not to be disturbed. Deal with whatever issue they might have and... you know the spot I mean?"

"Yes." Damien nodded.

"I think I should be back within an hour, but if I'm not, come look for me there. And also, tell Athena. She does trust you."

"Unlike most of the others," Damien said in a wistful tone.

"Well, she does, so do I and so do your men. Now I need to go."

Emily made her way slowly to the small secluded spot, closed her eyes and chanted the incantation. She felt a rush that was not totally unpleasant and when she opened her eyes again she was in the same landscape she knew all too well. Malus' hooded figure stood before her, tattered robes flowing in non-existent wind.

"I knew we'd be seeing each other again," Malus said with a chuckle that was cut off as Emily approached him with an angry grunt, grabbed him by the neck and actually lifted him off his feet.

"You are going to tell me what you've done to me and you're going to tell me NOW!" she exclaimed.

Other figures appeared around them, also hooded, some male, some female, surrounding them, and Emily guessed they were Malus' friends or disciples, but she found she felt no fear, and as her mind cleared of anger a little, the reality of what she had done hit her. Her strength, her daring. She lightened her grip on Malus a little, then lowered him to the ground

"I-I I will explain, if y-you l-let me," he choked out.

She let go of him completely and he stumbled backwards.

She looked closer at the figures surrounding them and noticed from their stances that they were wary. Some even seemed afraid of her.

"Malus, what the hell did you turn me into?" she asked, her voice shaking a little.

"What you were always meant to be," he replied in a maddeningly calm tone.

"Stop beating around the bush, tell it to me straight! You turned me into some harbinger of doom, meant to unleash hell on earth?!"

Lightning appeared in the sky, thunder rolled, and weirdly, Emily felt at one with it.

Another figure approached her, a female. "No, Hera. You're one of us now."

"And what does that mean? I'm a daemon?!" Emily exclaimed.

"Walk with us and we'll explain." The woman's voice was very gentle and it calmed Emily a little.

"Alright," she fell into step next to her and Malus.

"So what exactly did you do to me? I mean, you mixed our bloods, didn't you? During that 'experiment'?"

"No. I mixed some of our combined magical energy with yours," Malus said, his voice still hoarse from when she choked him.

The woman who spoke earlier adressed her again. "Emily, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before. My name is Lyra. And when I said that you are one of us now, I meant magical creatures. We are many: daemons, as well as others. I myself am a fae." She threw back her hooded robe and revealed herself in a beautiful purple gown and gleaming wings of the same colour.

Emily gasped in awe. "Well then, what are you doing in this landscape of doom?"

"We choose to be here for Malus."

"Is he blackmailing you?"

"No. Some of us, when we come into our powers, make mistakes and he was trapped here as a punishment for his."

"By whom?"

"There is a council, the founder of which was actually a mad witchhunter."

"Well, then, I'm screwed, because I have successfully practiced magic before I became a daemon, so I guess we'll be roommates here, Malus," Emily chuckled bitterly.

"No, Emily." Malus took over. "You are much more than a witch, a human, a daemon. I only performed this experiment on you, because you are someone lore has spoken of for ages."

"Dont tell me I'm a Goddess, because I am Catholic and while I don't practice, I do believe in a higher power way above us all, one that loves all creatures as they are."

"I'm not saying that, and before I tell you what it is you are, remember your project before Malcolm died. Of creating a world where people who died could meet with people who live? The project of improving the Lazarus Pits so that those who can be resurrected suffer no side-effects? Of calling bullshit on the time-travel control whatevertheirname organization Sara Lance cooperates with for putting ridiculously strict rules on changing the past?"

"I do."

"And you know of parallel universes."

Emily nodded.

"That, combined with your amazing bloodline, and my successful experiment means you are what we call a Worldmaker."

Emily took a while to process all this.

"Well, if I am what you say I am, could I make _this_ world a little less bleak?" she asked. "It's not that I don't enjoy dark and unique landscapes, but maybe? What do you say, Malus?"

"Well I don't mind. When I was… left here, I did not exactly have a... choice of venue. I had to accept what I was given," he smiled sadly.

"And, um, how do I go about this?" Emily asked, a little unsure.

"Just use your imagination and will it to happen. But remember, it only works like that in this realm. The rules are slightly different in the real world. It's more difficult there."

"Alright," Emily said and approached one of the barren trees. She closed her eyes and the branches came alive with green leaves and birdsong. She focused her mind and there was a bench underneath with a chest full of books. Then she reached out her hand and in front of it was a small, picturesque pond. "For when you get bored of the gloomy landscape, Malus. I don't know what literature you like, so there will be a variety to choose from in the chest."

"Thank you, Emily. It's beautiful," he said.

They walked for a while and Emily met some of the other creatures: a vampire, an Air Elementalist, a daemon that took on the form of a white tiger and could communicate with humans telepathically. She was overwhelmed by their number and variety. Some were friendly and introduced themselves, others kept their distance or threw her hostile looks, but she did not feel afraid and looked back at them calmly.

Malus noticed this and smiled in approval of her courage. "I'm glad you are not rejecting this, Emily," he said.

"Were you afraid I would?" She asked.

"I've had my concerns," he admitted.

"Well, one thing that can be said about me is that I never wanted an ordinary life. I always abhorred the boring day by day routine. Guess I got my wish," Emily said with a brief chuckle that turned into a sigh. "Now I just need to make sure I turn it into something I won't regret."

"You do have a lot to learn Emily, but I am certain you will succeed in your endeavors. My promise of help is still valid." Malus said. "We are like family now. A very twisted and weird one, but still, a family."

Emily nodded and he continued, "Many of our kind can go between your world and this, so you might expect some of them to drop by for a chat or with a request... You can ask them for help if you need it. Me, you can contact in the way you already know. "

"I wouldn't mind that at all. I guess I should get going now, because it seems like I spent a day here and I told Damien I'd be back in an hour."

"Well, time runs differently here, so no worries. And give my best to Damien," Malus smiled.

XxXxXxX

Emily woke up in the small secluded spot and noticed Damien crouching beside her. "How long have I been out?" She asked groggily.

"About an hour, but there were no disturbances, no issues and I felt like a caged lion in that tent and probably made a path through the place with my pacing, so I came here a little earlier," he replied as he helped her up.

Emily nodded, touched by his concern.

"How did it go out there?" Damien asked, but before Emily could answer, they heard approaching footsteps. It was Timothy Kent.

"Oh! Am I interrupting something?" he asked, clearly ready to withdraw in typical British gentlemanly fashion, but there was an undertone of suspicion in his voice, directed at Damien.

"No, Tim. It's okay," Emily reassured him. "Remember that issue I had on the plane? I got my answers, like I said I would, but I needed to clear my head, do some meditation, so I came here, left Damien to man the main tent, but... well, it took longer than I anticipated, so Damien got worried and went in search of me. We've just run into each other and were about to head back," she paused. "Anyway, what are _you_ doing up so late?"

Tim sighed. "Remnants of MI6 training: recurring insomnia. I figured a little fresh air might do me some good," he said, still throwing suspicious glances at Damien.

Emily decided to take matters into her own hands. "Alright, lads," she said, slipping into a British accent. "Let's adress the proverbial elephant in the room. Tim, it's evident you're mistrustful of Damien here because of his past, and it might adversely affect our mission. You do trust _me_ , right?"

Tim nodded and Emily continued. "Well, I trust him with my life and he's had my back when I was in a bind more times than I can count. So settle it over a pint back at the tent," she said as she pushed the both of them gently to move along down the path.

"Wait, there's beer?" Tim asked as they made their way towards the tent.

"Of course there's beer and not only beer! I'm bloody Polish, you really think I wouldn't bring alcohol with me?!" Emily exclaimed in a grumpy tone.

Both men burst out laughing at that and Damien had to grab Tim by the arm to keep him from falling because he slipped on one of the stones that paved the path, distracted by the spontaneous merriment.

They made their way to the tent without any further accidents. Emily sat them down at the table, put two pints of lager in front of them with a bang, then said. "You two figure it out amongst yourselves, I still have some gear to prepare for tomorrow, and by the time I'm done you better have kissed and made up." She turned on her heel and left them to it.

Each man took a sip of the beer, to avoid the initial awkwardness. Timothy was the first to speak. "Thanks for what you did back there on the path. It was a little steep and if you hadn't caught me, I probably woud have rolled all the way down and broken many bones."

"You're welcome," Damien said in a sincere voice and then continued. "Listen, I more than understand why you don't trust me, given everything I've done. For what it's worth, if I had the chance, I would undo all the hurt I've caused." He stared into his beer with a haunted expression.

"Well, I've done some very monstrous things myself in my line of work," Tim admitted.

Damien nodded, recognizing no cheap remark would be appropriate. Instead, he switched the subject a little.

"From what I gather, you are also a friend of Malcolm's?"

"Yes. He and I go way back. But you said 'also'?" He asked, his interest piqued.

Damien took a sip of his beer. "He showed kindness and support to me when I deserved neither. He had the courage to call me out on my mistakes when no other would. He was fearless when everyone else cowered," his voice hitched a little. "And he found Emily, who showed me that I can be human when I thought there was no turning back for me."

"You're also friends with Emily, I know," Timothy said.

"I am. And seeing her love with Malcolm, her strength in facing adversities, it… it gave me back my faith in everything that... that is good. And I will move heaven and earth to see them back together, laughing."

Timothy looked at Damien then. His past as an MI6 agent made him prone to treating each conversation as an interrogation and now he knew he could trust Damien Dahrk, despite his previous doubts.

"Well, I share your sentiment, Damien." He reached out his hand and said, "Shall we shake on it?" Damien understood it for what it meant and took the man's hand.

"I do trust you, Damien Dahrk," Tim said.

"And I you, Timothy Kent."

"Although, Emily said something that by the end of our conversation she expects us to kiss and make up," Timothy whispered conspiratorially. "Wouldn't it be a hoot if we actually did it?"

"I'm game if you're game." Damien grinned wickedly.

They took a huge gulp of their beer each, then Timothy called in his most serious, posh, James Bond tone.

"Emilyyyyyyy!"

"Yes?" She asked as she arrived. Both Timothy and Damien were standing next to the table by then.

"You will be glad to know," Damien started.

"We've resolved our issues and are ready to kiss and make up," Timothy finished and then the two men grabbed each other and kissed full on the mouth.

"What the-" Emily's jaw dropped.

"Well, you told us to!" Damien exclaimed as Tim doubled over with laughter.

"You clearly resolved your issues," Emily said as Damien started to laugh himself and she couldn't help but laugh as well.

"You must be drunk! Wait, neither of you have even finished half of the pint! You're crazy!" She exclaimed.

Tim hugged her amicably and made himself scarce, ready to go off to his quarters and get some sleep.

XxXxXxX

The merriment subsided. Emily cleaned up the table while Damien made up their beds and they both prepared for sleep.

"Emily, before we turn in for the night, tell me: how did it go with Malus? Tim interrupted us, but you mentioned you got the answers you needed?" Damien asked. "I mean what was it like?"

"Well, I kinda got taken to his version of wonderland. I met a fae and a bunch of other creatures."

Damien smiled. "Yes, Malus once gave me the honor of meeting them when I was transported to his realm. But, did he explain anything about the 'experiment'?"

"Yes. Apparently, aside from being a human and a witch, I'm now also a daemon and what they call a Worldmaker and that each one of us can use our powers for good or evil. It seemed like I spent half a day there, but time runs differently in that world, so here it seemed like an hour-" she broke off mid-sentence. "What, why are you staring at me like that?"

Damien sat there for a moment, his expression haunted, his breathing heavy. Eventually, he nodded for her to continue, so she did.

"Malus said the Worldmaker is supposed to be this mythical creature who possesses all sorts of powers, like travelling between realms, creating realms and that it works better there - I brought a tree back to life and did all sorts of magical things, but he also said it works different in this world and that it's more difficult. Wh- why, you've heard of the term before?" she asked.

"Yes. I've learned a lot of lore about it," Damien paused. "Emily, you clearly are of the _Sabih fialkh ayal_ bloodline. It means 'Dreamer' in Arabic, which is why Malus' experiment worked." He looked at her in awe. "It also means you are one of the most powerful beings in- in practically every realm." Damien paused, taking the news in. "And he just let you out without any sort of information on how your powers work _here?_ "

"Well, he said it would be more difficult, but his advice was something like, 'focus hard and imagine what you want it to be and it shall be'," Emily said.

Damien sighed. "Yes, that's the gist of it, but tomorrow you are going into battle, wielding this enormous power and without any experience at how, at what it feels like to control it in this world. What… what if you accidentally imagine a building collapsing and the power kicks in, unconrtolled, and it does?"

Emily gasped. "You're right! I'm like a weapon of mass destruction without a failsafe. What the heck do I do?"

she asked him in a panicky tone.

"I guess...train, start small," he said in a similarly panicky tone.

"How? I only have a few hours!"

Damien took a breath to steady himself, then grabbed a pencil from the table. "Try to imagine it bend, try to sense how the control feels inside you, what it takes. Focus. Channel the power. According to the lore, you should be a natural at this."

Emily nodded and took the pencil fom him. She focused on its shape, all sharpened and straight, then imagined it bend to the right. She stared at it hard, then exhaled.

' _I want you to bend to the right without breaking',_ she thought, imagining it. At first nothing happened, but then, slowly, it did bend right the way she wanted.

"Great work!" Damien exclaimed. "Now, we need to go bigger." He grabbed one of the makeshift chairs and put it in front of her as she stood up. "Make it bend its legs outwards."

It took Emily less time and effort to do just that. She was getting the hang of it.

"We need to go even bigger, " Damien said, enthusiastically.

"I agree, and… in order for it to go well tomorrow, I need to try it on a human," she said, her voice growing very serious.

"And by that you mean me." Damien caught on quickly, but there was no hesitation or a hint of protest in his demeanor.

"So what will it be? Break my legs, arms?" he asked.

"No," Emily said quietly and sat down next to him on his bed. "Lift up your shirt. Expose the place where Oliver stabbed you in Starling. Instead of destroying or bending something, I also want to be able to heal."

Damien did as instructed. Emily looked at the scar, remembered the viral footage of how Oliver slaughtered the man in front of her, then imagined all of the scar tissue healing slowly, cell by cell. A gentle light shone from her hand and Damien gasped as he felt its warmth. Despite Nora bringing him back to life, the scar and the pain had remained, like a current running under the surface. He'd learned to endure it, but up until now, hadn't realised what a burden it had been. He sighed with relief as it melted away. When it was done, it looked and felt as if the entire ordeal never happened. Not only was the skin mended, but the underlying, festering damage was fixed as well. Emily touched the place softy, as if making sure all was right, then pulled the shirt back down.

"Emily, thank you," Damien whispered, his voice rich with gratitude.

"You're welcome," she whispered, smiling and went back to her bed.

XxXxXxX

 _ **A realm in the multiverse, location unknown.**_

Malcolm Merlyn woke up in a place that looked a lot like the desert at dusk. Not quite dark yet, but close to it. He examined the land he lay on. Not sand, but hard and grey, with small cracks that spread like veins, as if the place had not felt the touch of rain in a long while. He looked at himself and noticed he was wearing his Dark Archer suit.

The last thing Malcolm remembered before everything turned to hell and chaos was standing on a landmine, waiting for Boomerang and his men to come up close enough so he could step off the mine and cause an explosion that would kill them and himself, giving Thea and the rest of the group time to make their escape.

He knew enough of the supernatural to realize he was dead and this, apparently, was his afterlife. Well, he hadn't expected heaven, not after what he had done.

And it was a myth no one felt a thing when dying in an explosion. He had experienced every excruciating second of his body disintegrating into nothing but dust, cell by cell, his tissue ripping into shreds. And it hadn't felt like a moment, it'd felt like an eternity.

He hoped that all this pain hadn't been for nothing, that Thea and the rest had made it. He remembered watching Thea's retreating figure as she ran, remembered thinking, " _Go, and be well, dear. Even though you hate me, I will always love you_."

He remembered thinking about Emily and his love for her, the love she had given him when he was in the depths of desperation. He remembered thinking, " _Darling, go on being a hero. I love you beyond life itself."_

He closed his eyes and sent that message to her, his ghostly heart beating a hundred miles per minute. The multiverse existed, so there was a chance she would hear him.

He walked around, taking in the landscape. It was the same everywhere. No trees, no water, just cracked earth and cloudy sky.

Suddenly, he felt a noise and a wild wind stated to blow. The earth started shaking. The crack in the earth a few steps before him opened and started to widen, a flickering orange light shining through. It widened and widened and Malcolm took a few steps back, but another crack opened behind him, leaving him trapped. A hellishly disfigured woman emerged from the cavern in front of him.

He faced two figures in tattered hooded robes, their poses like those of twisted bouncers at a club, towering him. The distance between the two caverns was closing and Malcolm looked desperately for a way out sideways, but there was none. He turned back towards the first one and saw there was a stone staircase that lead down to the cavern rivaling the size of the Grand Canyon, with levels, all lit up by fires, each one occupied by demonic creatures or people being tortured in a myriad of ways, like a scene from Dante's 'Inferno', only worse.

He looked around for a way out desperately again, and again found none.

Then the woman spoke in her demonic voice "You have a choice here, Malcolm: You can either come quietly or resist. Either way, you are _ours"_ Her voice echoed inside his head, giving him a splitting headache.

 _Ours,_

 _Ours,_

 _OURS!_

She reached out her hand invitingly. Malcolm weighed his options, his ghostly heart accelerating, as if he were still alive. If he didn't accept her invitation, the most likely scenario would be they'd push him in and he'd fall head first into that hellhole.

He balled his hand into a fist and willed it to stop shaking, then reached out towards her. "I'll come with you."

"A wise choice," she said as she took his hand in hers. He flinched at the pain that ran up his arm at her touch like an electric shock, but held on. The pain subsided and he took the first step downwards.

She stopped then, and he stiffened as she put her arm around him, caressing his shoulder as if they were a couple on a date. It took all of his willpower not to push her away.

"Well done, Malcolm Merlyn," she praised. "I'm Delia, by the way. So rude of me not to have introduced myself earlier," she purred in a mock-apologetic tone. "And allow me to welcome you to your new home: The Desolation."


	12. The Desolation

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 12**

 **The Desolation**

 _ **Author's Note**_ : _Welcome back to the story, everyone. This one finally features Malcolm in a major way. Our favorite misunderstood hero himself! As always: enjoy and REVIEW! I love your opinions!  
_

XxXxXxX

 ** _The entrance to the Desolation, beyond time_.**

Malcolm stood there and felt as if he couldn't move. Images from his life flashed by. Emily's laughter, Tommy's first steps, the times Thea smiled at him back in Corto Maltese when he first started training her and she successfully completed a task.

But that was all gone now.

He looked at the gruesome details of what was to be his new 'life'. An endless strain of mythical torture and misery. His breath hitched and his heart raced as he thought of trying once again to make a run for it, but he knew he couldn't. There was no escape this time, no 'Houdini maneuver' he could pull. He swallowed thickly, and flinched as he felt a hand touch his forehead. It was Delia, who wiped away a droplet of sweat.

"Don't worry, Malcolm, you'll get used to the heat of this place eventually. Now, after you've taken in the view of your new home, we must not dally. There are people eager to meet you."

He felt his stomach plummet at that. In a place like this, it couldn't mean anything good, but he let himself be led by Delia down the huge winding staircase, feeling a weird, detached state enter his mind; a condition that kicks in when one's brain has been through too much shock at once.

He observed the tortured souls, some of them disfigured monsters, not even resembling humans. He wondered idly when he would become just like them. Unrecognizable, desperate, his cries for help unanswered. The entire walk reminded him of a horridly twisted version of a celebrity's glorious descent into a gala, only his gala would be nothing glorious, it would be horror.

They were finally on the ground floor and Delia led him towards a huge iron door with shadowy demonic guards at its sides. Some of them fell into step with him and his companion as they came in.

"Now, you are about to meet our master. Kneel when he enters."

She stepped aside and the guards moved in on both sides of him. He knew it was a precaution in case he disobeyed. His mind traveled back to when the League abducted him and he was dragged on his knees to face Ra's Al Ghul. After he was rescued, he'd sworn to himself he would never kneel before anyone again, but, well, the universe definitely had a wicked sense of irony. He knew the smart option here was to obey and not cause himself further problems by defying his new 'master'.

There was a dais and a man in dark robes entered with a posse, one of whom declared: "All ye wretched souls, kneel before Devon, the Master of Desolation."

Malcolm saw from the corner of his eye the guards twitching in case he dared to defy, but he obediently knelt and bowed his head.

Devon strolled across the dais like a celebrity, his robes flowing, then exclaimed in a towering voice, "Everyone, a new, special soul has joined us today: Malcolm Merlyn, Al Saher, former Resh Al Ghul, dethroned leader of the League of Assassins."

Amongst the demonic applause that exploded, Malcolm's thoughts screamed: ' _I'm no former or dethroned anything! I AM Resh Al Ghul, wherever I may be!'_

He didn't change his posture though, and kept his head lowered respectfully.

Devon stepped down from the dais and approached Malcolm. He put his hand under his chin and raised his head. Their eyes met and Malcolm made sure his betrayed none of his rebellious emotions, only a slight trace of fear.

"So tell me, Malcolm, what do you think about our establishment here?" Devon asked.

Malcolm knew he had to choose his words carefully, but decided to go for humor. "Well, it's very… colourful, but... in my humble opinion, it could use some air-conditioning."

Devon burst out laughing as did the audience.

Then his demeanor turned serious. "I must commend you, Mr Merlyn for not taking the coward's way out and running. You chose to come quietly and accept Delia's offer. You are among the one percent of souls who decided to take that walk into the cavern."

' _Talk about being a one-percenter,'_ Malcolm thought with irony, then addressed Devon."I… I looked at that staircase, considered the alternative and thought: if I'm going to a place called 'the Desolation' I'd rather do it in style, as scary as it is. Dropping here head over heels would have been the opposite."

Appreciative laughter and applause exploded again. Devon extended his hand and helped Malcolm stand up. Then he turned to the other creatures. "You are dismissed now. I need time alone with Mr Merlyn. As you all know from your own experience, he has some... duties to attend to."

This made Malcolm's stomach plummet again.

Devon continued. "So, take your bow, Mr Merlyn, you've entertained us well."

Malcolm did as he was told and heard the daemonic applause, feeling like a gladiator on an arena, about to face his execution.

When he and Devon were alone, the man beckoned him towards the previously empty table on the dais, which now was magically covered with bowls of fruit and two glasses of wine.

"Before anything else, I wish to converse with you," Devon said, as he indicated a seat and gestured at the food on the table. "Help yourself to all of it, the rest of your stay here won't be filled with treats like these."

"I'm aware of that," Malcolm said and took a gulp of his wine. The goblet immediately started to refill to its initial level.

"So, I'm curious about something, master," Malcolm risked asking a question.

"Oh?" Devon quirked an eyebrow. "What about?"

"Your name: Devon. Is it a variation of 'Devil? Because we all know he hides behind many names."

Devon laughed then. "No, it's just my name and no, you're not in hell itself, just one of the many hellish realms souls like yours get sent to after they pass. I am the master of this one."

' _Multiverse',_ Malcolm's mind whispered as he munched on some of the grapes and oranges.

"And," Devon continued, "my task is to make sure each of these souls does penance for their sins. As YOU shall."

Malcolm nodded as he took a sip of his wine, his heart accelerating. "I expected no less when I crossed the threshold of this place," he said in a subdued voice.

"Well, then, no use in dallying," Devon said as he rose. Malcolm finished off his glass of wine in a few gulps, then rose as well.

Devon led him to a room, lit by torches, a room full of people, some adult, some children, all of them maimed in some way, all piercing him with their gazes.

"These are the souls of the people killed in the Glades because of your Undertaking, and they have been waiting for you for a very long time," Devon announced.

Malcolm gasped in shock and then looked at each of them. Their faces distorted into monstrous shapes: men, women, children, infants, all radiating with hatred.

He withdrew a few paces.

"No," he shook his head as his mind jumped to an inevitable conclusion.

"No?" Devon asked "Are you shirking from your penance that easily? I had better hopes for you, Malcolm."

"No, you misunderstand me," Malcolm said, a hint of impatience entering his voice. "They cannot possibly be the souls of the people that died in the Undertaking, because they are innocents, th-there are infants and teenagers here, their souls don't go to a place like this!" His voice echoed through the room and Malcolm was shocked when Devon started clapping.

"I knew we had someone special among us the moment your soul entered this realm. You're right. They are not the actual souls of the people you killed. The souls have moved on to a better place. But, the anger, the despair, the fear they felt at the moment they were killed left a residue of energy, shadows full of anger that demands revenge. And it is your penance to fulfill their need, to relive the moment and the way they died, feel all their pain, and then rise again to face the next, until they are all satiated."

Malcolm was silent for a long while. He stared at the 'shadows'' bruised and scarred faces, noticed that some of them weren't even angry, just sad and scared.

"Well?" Devon prompted.

Malcolm breathed in deeply and said in a determined voice. "Yes. I'll face them."

Devon gave nod and the ordeal that started was beyond brutal. They approached Malcolm one by one. Each figure told him their story and then he had to relive it as they had on that fateful day.

The first one was a man, a father of two, who died under the rubble of a collapsed building. Suddenly, Malcolm found himself transported to the place, struggling to breathe as the weight of the collapsed concrete slowly suffocated him and the ghostly figure stood over him, saying. " _My wife killed herself from grief and now our two boys are in foster care."_

The weight of the concrete was making it harder and harder to breathe but Malcolm managed to cough out a lame "I'm sorry" and in an inhuman effort, before he 'died', he reached out for the figure's hand. The touch burned like fire, but he didn't let go until the figure changed into speckles of gold, then evaporated and he himself was back to where he started.

And so it went on. Each time he died, he was resurrected like in a reset of a computer game, to face another one of the shadows and relive their deaths, down to every gory detail.

After what felt like a hundred years, Devon called a halt and said, "Alright, enough of that for now."

But it wasn't the end of the Dark Archer's torment.

He was led into a different hall, filled with various instruments of torture, each one more twisted and terrifying than the other. Some of them were 'occupied' by other residents of the Desolation writhing and howling in pain as the wraith-like figures of the realm's executioners performed their tasks with complete indifference to the agony they caused.

Malcolm's mind was still reeling from his encounter with the Undertaking victims, and the images before him made him stop in his tracks as he took it all in.

" _MOVE!"_ One of the guards growled and pushed him forward. They dragged him to a spot in the middle of the hall and stopped, then grabbed each of his arms in a vice-like grip.

"You are to be granted a great honor today, Al Saher," another guard said. "This torture will not be delivered by any of the Desolation's underlings, but by Devon himself. He is the cruelest and most skilled tormentor in all of the hellish realms. Now, I need to prepare you for the Master," the creature said and approached him.

Malcolm's stomach plummeted as it reached out its hands and slowly took off his Dark Archer coat, then the tunic and Kevlar he wore underneath. It moved slowly and gently. Malcolm turned his head to the side to avoid the creature's rancid breath.

Finally, when Malcolm was bare-chested, the figure stepped away a few paces and regarded him with a look of lecherous admiration and… hunger. Malcolm shivered in disgust, despite the ever-present heat.

Suddenly, there was a clattering sound and chains dropped down from the cavernous ceiling, a heavy metal cuff attached to each one. Then Devon emerged from the shadows and approached Malcolm. Without saying a word, the master of the Desolation took Malcolm's left hand and fastened the cuff around his wrist, then did the same with the other one. He snapped his fingers and the chains started to move upwards, until Malcolm stood with hands stretched painfully above his head, in exactly the same position he'd left Oliver on the day of the Undertaking.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Devon remarked with a chuckle, then his expression turned serious and his eyes took on a reddish hue as he whispered a quick incantation.

Malcolm gasped when he saw what appeared in Devon's hand. It was a long, thick green leather whip with metal spikes that peppered it's length. It looked like a twisted version of a rose's thorn-covered stem.

"Now, let me set a few ground rules here," Devon started, his tone ice cold and threatening. "I will deliver as many lashes to you as I deem fit, you don't get the privilege of knowing how many. You are not to speak unless I order it. You can scream, you can wail, cry or howl. But there will be no begging, no apologizing, no calling out to higher powers or loved ones. When we are done, you are to kneel and say: 'Thank you, Master, for the gift of my penance'. Now, tell me you understand."

"I..un-understand, Master," Malcolm confirmed in a hoarse whisper. His throat was dry and he tasted ashes in his mouth.

Then Devon moved behind him and it began. Malcolm's howl echoed in the cavernous hall as the whip lacerated his skin and the spikes embedded themselves in his flesh.

Devon was a methodical and relentless torturer. He made pauses between strikes and waited a while before he tore the weapon out and prepared for the next lash, his momentum and strength growing. Malcolm's back was turning into one gigantic wound. His legs gave out under him and the cuffs dug into his wrists painfully. He could not recognize his own voice. He definitely didn't need to worry about speaking; he wondered if after this he would be able to ever utter a coherent word again. The animalistic noises he emitted were similar to those of the other creatures around him. Together they created a cacophony of sound, a macabre choir of the Desolation.

When the lashing was over, Devon came to face him again, the whip now magically gone. "Well done, Al Saher. Not a single plea. Now, let's get you cleaned up," he praised, then moved out of the Dark Archer's field of vision again.

Suddenly Malcolm felt as if his back was on fire.

He yelped, but managed to turn his head a little and saw that Devon was hosing him down with scalding-hot water. He kept on going even after all the blood had been washed away. Malcolm yowled and writhed like a madman. The ways of dealing with pain and suffering he had mastered while alive were of no use here. He was completely helpless.

One other very important difference between being tortured on Earth and in the Desolation was that on Earth, one had the small mercy of being able to lose consciousness from pain. Here, the Dark Archer remained awake through each agonizing moment.

Eventually, Devon snapped his fingers again and the chains disappeared. Malcolm dropped to the ground like a rag doll, shaking. His entire body felt as if it was made of cotton, like he had no strength left.

Devon paced around him for a while, then said, "This part of the torment is complete. Now, perform your duty."

Malcolm thought there was no way he would be able to move, but knew he had to. With each cell of his ghostly form screaming in protest, he lifted himself up to all fours and then to a kneeling position. He kept his head low, and took several deep breaths. "Thank you, Master, for the gift of my penance," he rasped out.

"You're welcome, Al Saher," Devon replied, then the guards pulled Malcolm up to his feet and led him to yet another hall for another set of torturous ministrations.

It all seemed to last forever, each torture more twisted and gory than the other.

Monstrous creatures bit and clawed at his already wounded skin as he was drowned in a muddy pond, as thick and deep as any swamp. And again, unlike on Earth, he did not pass out from the lack of oxygen, but remained in the agonizing limbo of suffocation, lungs bursting as they filled with the rancid mud, mind begging for air.

He was thrown into a pit inhabited by snakes that seemed sentient and instructed him telepathically not to move as they took turns biting him, sinking their fangs into his flesh and holding on, letting the venom flow into his veins slowly, burning like acid.

Another pit was filled with various kinds of bugs: gigantic cockroaches, worms, leeches, ants and spiders. It was so deep he actually sank beneath the surface of their roiling mass, unable to scream as they invaded his body, biting and crawling everywhere.

After what seemed like an eternity, Malcolm was back to his old self again, on his knees, panting, his Dark Archer clothes miraculously restored to their dry, untouched state.

"Delia will take you to your quarters now, which you shall share with her," Devon announced as Malcolm stood up shakily. "Don't worry, it's been decided your appearance won't be disfigured or monstrous, whatever tortures you endure. Delia will tell you her story and the rules of your cohabitation. You're dismissed," he said and Delia led him to their quarters.

It was a simple room, with one double bed. Malcolm collapsed onto it and Delia cuddled up next to him. "Don't worry, I'm not allowed any sexual encounters," she said and put her head on his chest with a content sigh as he gingerly wrapped one of his arms around her. She gently caressed his chest, with childlike hesitancy and innocence. This was a welcome relief from all the horrors of the day. He dared to look at her then, beyond the scars and noted she couldn't have been more than twenty and quite beautiful.

"Wh-What happened to you?" he asked gently.

"You mean, my story? I-I was a fool." She paused for a moment. "I was a wild child of the seventies who fell in love with a bad boy, Travis. Oh, I liked bad boys. He introduced me to heroin, got me hooked and then had the gall to cheat on me with a hooker," she said angrily. "So, in a fit of rage, I bought some cans of gasoline and set his house on fire. But, since I wasn't a skilled pyromaniac, I didn't make it out in time while the flames exploded. And, for the sin of succumbing to my lust for vengeance, I ended up here, with these scars, while… maybe he rots somewhere in a way worse place than this, or maybe still lives and leads on other idiots like me. When I asked Devon, he said I wasn't allowed to know that." Her breath hitched a little. "And can you believe... before all this, I actually had this foolish dream of becoming a model? I even got an agent and everything, booked some jobs. Some model I am now, huh?" she said wistfully.

Malcolm reached out and began to trace the scars on her face with his fingertips. "Does… does it still hurt?" he asked in a whisper.

"Not anymore. Not physically anyway, I think. Devon took a liking to me because I'm not a troublemaker, and trust me, you don't want to be a troublemaker in this place. You do your penance and life is… well somewhat... bearable here."

Malcolm thought of what he'd been through today, what awaited him tomorrow and 'bearable' seemed like a very far-fetched euphemism.

"How is it that I ended up being roommates with you?" he queried.

"Why, do I disgust you that much?" she asked in a broken tone.

"No," Malcolm rushed to explain: "It's just… my sins so far outweigh yours. One would think I'd be put in a cell with someone like one of those violent monsters I saw on our way to Devon's hall."

She smiled at him then. "Like I said before, he has a soft spot for me. And when I learned you'd be joining us, I-I requested you."

"Thank you," Malcolm said and held her more tightly as they fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

When the next day came, Malcolm was already waiting for Devon at the entrance to his hall.

The Master of Desolation stopped in surprise when he saw him.

"Well, Malcolm, one would think you are glutton for misery. Queuing up to be tortured?" He mocked.

"My penance for the Undertaking has to be done anyway, so I see no point in dallying," Malcolm said, calmly.

"And you know there is further penance awaiting you in the day, and it doesn't get any better, that sometimes it might even be prolonged?" Devon raised an eyebrow

"Master, I know this is not a contest. I know that I deserve punishment and I don't mean to evade it or avoid it," Malcolm replied in a respectful tone.

"Well, then, let's get on with it," Devon said and led him into the room.

The procedure began again. Each shadow of an Undertaking victim approached him, told him their story, then he relived their trauma, but from then on, he held on to them as they touched him, despite the feeling of being burned. He whispered words of comfort, up until the time they turned into those golden specks and floated away. Malcolm found he learned so many colors of pain it would be enough to emblazon the murky depths of the Desolation with a shining rainbow.

On and on it went until Devon called a halt and moved him on to other tortures. Eating live bugs, more lashings, drownings… There was even a trial that involved Malcolm entering a pit of boiling lava, but the Dark Archer shocked the onlookers by downright jumping into it.

He was never maimed, but the excruciating pain still stayed with him.

And so it went on, for what seemed like years.

Malcolm found respite during his nighttime conversations with Delia, who told him about her dreams, her childhood and teenage years, her family. When he slept, he dreamed of Emily, called out to her in his mind. " _I'm still here, I love you beyond life itself."_

One day, Delia told him; "You know, one of the tortures of this place is that while on Earth it's only days, to us, it seems like millennia."

Malcolm noted this in his mind, not quite surprised, given what he knew of the multiverse. Still, it had felt like millennia by now, and his knowledge notwithstanding, it took its toll.

Eventually, during his tortures with the Undertaking victims, he found himself assaulted by several at once. Dropping to all fours, calling out for forgiveness, help, mercy, breaking up completely, calling Emily's name, Rebecca's name, Oliver's name, Moira's name but no help ever came. So he collapsed in complete resignation, letting the victims gnaw at him and holding them till the golden specks appeared.

And yet, every day, he still stood there, balling his fists to stop the shaking, to retain at least a little dignity, his posture straight, right by the door to Devon's main hall, even after he was done atoning with the victims of the Undertaking, awaiting further torture with patience and taking it as the Master of the Desolation saw fit.

One day was different, though.

Instead of taking him to one of the torture chambers, Devon led him to the feast table in the main hall, like he had the first day Malcolm was in the Desolation. It was decorated as before, except richer: bottles of wine, bowls of fruit, plates of food of all kinds. Malcolm was shown to his seat by a waiter that expertly poured him a glass of superb Argentinian red and a glass of champagne, while another did the same for Devon. It seemed completely unreal.

Devon took his glass of champagne and stood up, raising it in a gesture of salute to the Dark Archer. The warrior did the same.

"Malcolm, let me salute you on the anniversary of your perfect performance here. Which would be your-"

Malcolm raised his hand and stopped him. "Master, I-I don't want to know what day it is. I know my penance is far from over and I respect you enough not to count the time. I-I just want to focus on fulfillig my... duties."

This humble demeanor seemed to please Devon. "I noticed you've made no markings on the wall of your cell to count the days, like most prisoners do."

"What would be the point of that?" Malcolm allowed himself a snort. "It does not lessen the suffering, it does not make time run any faster, it does not make the nightmares go away."

"And what does?" Devon asked.

"For me? Actually doing my penance, no tricks. Facing up to my mistakes and taking the pain." He paused for a while, his voice lowering. "You know my history, Devon. I am no stranger to pain."

Devon considered his words for a moment as they both sat down. "I have a question for you, Malcolm. I observed closely the way you dealt with these remnants of the souls of the Undertaking. You not only suffered the pain they went through, but you held onto them even though it burned you. It left no mark, but the pain was there all the same. You stayed with them till the very end. That's unprecedented."

Malcolm took a sip of his wine before speaking. "Devon, you call them 'remnants', also, 'shadows', but… I've become acquainted with them and decided they are beings no lesser than me. I might also be called a shadow of myself, am I not? I sensed that they can feel pain, anger, sadness, an entire range of emotions, like me. And I also felt their relief as their pain became mine and they turned into these golden specks, which are… quite beautiful," he paused.

"This 'remnant' of a woman with an infant who died in a building that collapsed because of what I did… I felt her pain, her grief at watching her child die, _feeling that child's dying breaths as if they were my own._ And holding them, giving them that relief, releasing them to.. to maybe let them join their souls was worth the pain. Have you ever wondered if they are more than just 'remnants'?" he queried.

Devon pondered his words for a while. "You weren't called 'the Magician' for no reason," he said. "You clearly have a great understanding of the supernatural. I will consider your theory and put it to the test on the victims of crimes not committed by you."

Malcolm nodded and Devon continued, changing the subject.

"However, I invited you here to offer you a gift for your good behavior. I will grant you a request, limited only to this realm."

Malcolm raised his eyebrow.

"You can ask for better quarters, a favor, anything, within here," Devon said with a tempting grin.

Malcolm took a gulp of his wine, taking a few moments to think, then asked, "Can this request involve another person, within this realm?"

"What do you mean?"

"Delia. I would like for her scars to be removed," Malcolm said without hesitation.

"Because they disgust you?"

"No," Malcolm growled with vehemence, not caring if he risked Devon's wrath. "Because not only do I think she doesn't belong here, but because I've grown to know her and how much... unnecessary anguish they cause her. Despite the mistakes she made, her soul has kindness and she deserves better than this!" he exclaimed. "I know she goes through other tortures as well, so at least grant her this one mercy!" His voice was again that of the fearsome Dark Archer, the mighty Resh Al Ghul, but he checked himself and lowered it, then bowed his head in respect. "I beg you, Master. Please."

Devon regarded him above the rim of his goblet as he thought. "I'm inclined to grant this request, but it will require an additional sacrifice on your part, Al Saher."

"I'm prepared to do it," Malcolm said levelly, no hesitation.

"You don't even know what's in store," Devon remarked.

Malcolm gave him his fiercest Falcon Glare. "Well, then, to put it bluntly, just bring it on," he hissed and even Devon flinched at the fierceness in his voice.

He led him down a staircase to a place that made hell look like heaven. He subjected Malcolm to tortures that would fill the pages of a book and make them bleed in the reader's hands. All that kept Malcolm going through it was the thought of Emily. He writhed and shouted out her name. The pain was so immense and unyielding that eventually he could find no words, no breath. He had to fully succumb to it at times, the cruel rule of this place preventing his consciousness from slipping away. But not once did the Dark Archer beg for release or mercy.

When it was finally over, Devon lifted him up and there he stood, his Dark Archer suit untouched, as if what felt like ages of torture had never happened. Malcolm breathed in deeply several times.

Devon patted him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Al Saher," he praised. "I will grant you your request for Delia." He took Malcolm's left hand, then dunked it in a pit of what looked like boiling wax. Malcolm was so used to pain by now, he barely hissed in shock.

"Now go to her, and give her the gift," Devon said, with a contented smile.

"Thank you, Master," Malcolm bowed. "Please never let her know how exactly I came to acquire it."

Devon nodded his acquiescence and Malcolm rushed out.

When he entered the cell, Delia looked up at him with worry in her eyes. "Devon has kept you longer this time, what's happened?"

Malcolm had decided not to let her know what he had been through.

"Well, I have completed part of my penance for some of my sins, which took a while, and he wanted to congratulate me on that with a lavish feast."

She smiled. "Yes, he tends to do that sometimes."

"But, he also made me the deliverer of a gift for you," Malcolm said.

She sat up and looked at him seriously. "Malcolm, I know Devon, and I have grown to know you so don't lie to me.

I know he does not grant gifts for free. You had to go through _something_ to get this for me."

Malcolm looked away for a moment to hide his haunted expression from her as all the tortures flashed back in his mind, but he banished them with his willpower.

"Yes, you're right," he admitted in a low voice. "And I'm sorry for trying to deceive you, but I didn't want to spoil the moment for you. Suffice it to say, what I had to go through is now over and done and I shall get a reward as well. Now, can I get on with giving you your gift?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

She nodded and he sat down on the bed next to her, then took her hand in his right while his left started to glow subtly, with all the colors of the rainbow. He touched the scars of her face gently and willed them to disappear. He recalled their conversations and tapped into the feelings she had conveyed - her anguish over them never having come true, the disgust she felt at her scars, the avalanche of sadness and regret she felt. He willed for them to dissipate. It was an otherworldly feeling. The thinned-out hair on that side of her head started to grow back, going from matted gray to its natural auburn hue. The scars on her neck also healed. Then the light in his palm went out, and he led her to the small bathroom adjoining the room.

"Now, look in the mirror, Delia," he said.

She balked. "No, I've been avoiding mirrors for ages now!"

Malcolm held her by the arms firmly "Look. Open your eyes and LOOK," he said in a commanding voice that brooked no objection.

She obeyed and gasped, taking the reflection in. She put her hand through her shiny auburn hair, touched her face, her skin porcelain smooth.

"M-Malcolm, I-I'm… I'm myself again!" she exclaimed in shock. She ran out of the bathroom and jumped on the bed, danced around the room, then grabbed his hand and he twirled her around like a ballerina. She stopped suddenly and approached him, grabbed his hands.

"Wait, and where is your reward?" She asked with concern.

He gestured at her. "This, Delia. The JOY you emanate right now. It is a priceless commodity in this place, one I've been craving desperately. The light that radiates from you could put all of the lights of the scorching fires in this place to shame.

"Go on and spread that joy. Shine that light, make me proud!" he exclaimed as she went out and mingled a little, then came back to turn in for the night.

"Thank you, Al Saher, my Magician," she said. She hugged him extra tight as they fell to sleep. He looked at her peaceful slumber and noted she would be about Thea's age. So, in some twisted way, he had regained a daughter, or a least, gained a friend in this hellhole.

XxXxXxX

Days went on and on, endlessly in the bowels of the Desolation. Torture, moments of respite, then more torture, but... Malcolm noticed a slight difference. Or was it his imagination? Creatures there seemed to treat him with more respect, even regard. They'd approach him, make small talk, or even just spontaneously shake hands with him, give him advice on how to navigate the place.

One time, when he was coming back from a particularly trying session of torture, he was shoved into a small alcove by a female dressed in steam-punk style clothing, who bared her fangs at him. Despite her petite frame, she had the strength of a weightlifter.

"I didn't mean any harm when I bumped into you. I was just distracted," he said apologetically.

"That's not why I dragged you here, _Malcolm_ ," the blue-haired woman said and she spoke fast, her tone firm.

"My name is Aquaria and I'm a friend of Delia's. We go way back. I know what you did for her.," Sshe paused and looked at him earnestly. "Any friend of hers is a friend of mine."

Malcolm nodded and she released him. Her manner was abrupt, but she didn't seem hostile.

"I know you're quite new here, so let me explain some things for you, Resh Al Ghul. There's a bargain system going on. Exchanging favors, powers. And I want some of that legendary power that runs through your blood. In exchange, I can offer you some of my vampirical powers." She paused for a few seconds to let the words sink in.

"So, what do you say? You have a minute to decide. After that I walk off and it's as if this conversation never happened." She glanced at him expectantly.

Malcolm straightened himself out and weighed his options quickly. Apparently, he had some power in his blood that was desirable, but the powers this woman could provide him with were well worth having.

"You have yourself a deal," he said in a decisive tone, matching hers.

She pushed him deeper into the alcove so they were fully out of sight. She reached out, gently drew back his collar a little, exposing his neck, then lowered her head and sank her fangs into his skin, but he felt almost no pain and offered no resistance as he allowed her to drink her fill. Then she withdrew and licked her lips. "Delicious," she remarked with a smile.

"Now it's your turn," she said, then used one of her red- painted, claw-like fingernails to slit her vein and put it to his mouth as crimson liquid started to spill.

"Drink up, don't let it go to waste," she urged and he obeyed as she sighed. Aside from the coppery hints of blood, it tasted of spices; ginger and honey, like fresh spring water mixed with blackberry juice…

"That will suffice." She gently wiped his mouth with her hand, then hugged him. "Thank you, Malcolm Merlyn. You have made a friend for eternity. Any friend of mine is now your friend. Any enemy of yous is now my enemy. You will know my friends by the codename 'aqua.' Oh, and don't believe the stories, sunlight does not burn us."

Malcolm took her hand in his and kissed it in an old fashioned, gentlemanly manner. "Thank you, Aquaria."

AU: Remember to review, friends!


	13. Rise

**Mythical**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Rise**

 _ **Author's note:**_ _This is one of the crucial chapters of the story._

 _XxXxXxX_

Emily woke up in the middle of the night, gasping from nightmares of Malcolm being tortured in a myriad of ways, and she woke up shaking and sweating.

Damien was by her side immediately and at a lack for something to do to calm her down, he simply held her.

"Emily, Ems, SNAP OUT OF IT! What happened?" He yelled.

"It's Malcolm…I thought I had a nightmare but it wasn't a nightmare, it was a… a vision… Malcolm being tortured in a place called the Desolation."

That was the moment Damien sat back down and started shaking.

"Wh-what is it?" Emily asked with concern.

Damien was barely able to speak."Th-the Desolation is a hellish realm that brings all s-sorts of horrendous torture to those who get there after dying. They turn them into disfigured creatures... According to lore, it's like Dante's Inferno, only worse. Emily, if Malcolm is there…then we need to get him out right NOW!"

"Yes, the sooner, the better. I have his ashes, the potions and the incantations ready."

"We better restore the Pit covertly, then call the others," Damien said.

"I agree," Emily nodded and they ran towards the Pit chamber… where they were met by the Priestess.

She sat on the edge of the Pit, staring at its damaged waters wistfully. She barely looked up at their abrupt entrance.

"Worldmaker," she addressed Emily in a weak voice. "What are you doing here at such a late hour? Nyssa abandoned us, and now...This place is turning to nothing and I am the one left to watch it," she sobbed.

Emily went up to her and helped her up. "Istora, nothing is turning into nothing," she said. "I am the Worldmaker and if I can create worlds, I sure as hell can repair a Lazarus Pit destroyed by a fool."

The Priestess looked at her with a small smile.

"How do you propose to do this, Worldmaker?"

Emily took out three parchments with incantations written on them and a vial.

"These are all inscribed with the spell we need to chant in unison, as I drop this vial into the Pit."

She handed the both of them a page and waited a moment for them to familiarize themselves with it. Then she took out the vial and asked, "Ready?"

"Yes,' they both confirmed.

"Then, at my sign we both start chanting."

She took a deep breath, gave the sign and they did.

The chant was long and in a complicated ancient language, luckily one they all knew. In the middle of the chant, Emily poured the vial with the potion into the Pit.

They finished the chant and the waters started to boil. They turned from color to color until they returned to the one they were before Nyssa had damaged it.

Istora's eyes lit up with amazement, but as she reached towards it, Emily stopped her.

"They need to be tested first." She took out a dagger from a hidden compartment in her sleeve, cut her hand, then immersed it in the waters. As she lifted it up, the wound was healed, and all her previous scars from battle as well.

Istora gasped in awe. "It worked," she said.

"Yes," Emily smiled. "Now, Istora bring some warriors and keep guard here, while Damien and I go improve our powers."

"Yes, Mistress."

XxXxXxX

Emily and Damien returned to the room they shared for now in order to strategize easier.

"Improve our powers?" Damien questioned as they entered.

"Yes. In case you haven't noticed I am the Worldmaker who has no idea what she is doing and your mistakes in recent battles have undermined your confidence. So we are both weapons of mass destruction with someone else's finger on the trigger and no fail-safe!"

Damien facepalmed. "Shit, this might be worse than when I decided to nuke the whole world."

"This might be worse than when I agreed to the Undertaking. So what do we do?" Emily asked in a panicky voice.

"Uhhm, I dunno, train somehow?" Damien answered in a similarly panicky tone. He grabbed a pencil off the table. "Bend it to the right with your mind," he said.

"Okay" she said, then thought to herself, " _I am the frikking Worldmaker, I can do it." According to the lore, she should be a natural at this._ She looked at the pencil and imagined it bending without breaking. At first, nothing happened, but then it did, exactly as she intended.

"Great!" Damien exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Let's go bigger." He grabbed a chair and Emily stood in front of it. "Bend its legs outwards," he ordered.

This time it went even easier. She was getting the hang of it.

"Let's go even bigger this time!" Damien said after he applauded.

"I know, and given the battles we are about to face, this time, I have to try it on a human."

"And by that, you mean me." Damien said resignedly, but with no sign of protest. "So what will it be? Break my legs, arms?"

"No. I have tried destruction before. I want to be able to heal."

She sat next to him on the bed. She lifted his shirt up to expose the place where Oliver had stabbed him when he killed him in Starling. Despite the fact Nora had resurrected him, he'd come back to life with the scar and the pain, that ran inside him like an ever present, unyielding undercurrent. He'd learned to live with it, but it still took its toll.

Emily reached out her hand, which started to emit a light. She imagined the scar disappearing, healing cell by cell, reaching the festering wound underneath. Damien sighed as relief enveloped him. When it was all done, there was no trace, like the entire ordeal had never happened. Emily touched the skin gently, making sure it had worked.

"Thank you, Ems," Damien whispered, his voice rich with gratitude.

"You're welcome," she said earnestly. "Now it's your turn."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do what it is you do with your telekinetic powers. Choke me, toss me across the room," she suggested.

"What the hell, Ems? I'm not going to hurt you!" Damien balked.

"I don't want you to hurt me, I want you to regain enough control of your powers so that you don't. And the fact that we have developed a friendship is an added bonus," she paused, seeing his hesitation. "Damien, please, I need you on this."

"Alright," Damien took a few steps back, breathed in deeply and directed his hand at her. Emily felt her throat constrict as she was lifted off her feet. She dangled there like a rag doll, then felt herself flying towards her own bed. Then the pressure on her throat lifted as she was lowered slowly.

Damien was by her side in a flash. "Ems, are you…"

"I'm okay," she coughed a little as she lifted herself up. "Kudos on your aim with the bed. For a second there I was worried I would smash straight into the table, or the wardrobe or wherever," she laughed.

Damien just sighed with relief. "I was afraid of the same thing."

"Well, but you didn't do it, and that's what we need: focus and control. And we've tried it and we know we can do it," Emily smiled.

"I agree. Now, we need all our strength for tomorrow, which is a few hours away, so why don't we catch some sleep?"

"I'm all for it," Emily said as they stretched in their beds.

XxXxXxX

Emily and Damien woke up early to a knock on the door. It was the High Priestess Istora.

"Mistress, I have been guarding the Pit with the warriors, like you ordered, but one of our guards heard a knock on the main entrance. It appears that it is Ms Nyssa and Thea with prisoners in chains. From what I could notice, the prisoners are Ms Sabrina Snow and a girl named Blair. They only want to talk to you."

Damien was already putting on his battle suit, and Emily followed.

"Emily, I think it would be prudent if you wore the Resh robes to welcome our _unwelcome_ guests," he suggested.

The Priestess nodded and instructed one of the warriors to bring the robes, the ring and everything that went with being Resh.

When Emily was fully clothed in her regalia, Athena met them in the corridor.

"Damien, Emily, ready to face the enemy?" She asked.

"Ready for my victory," Emily said.

The huge heavy doors of the fortress opened

and the warriors standing in the corridors spilled out of the building, taking tactical positions to protect their mistress, as did Tim and Damien's men covertly on commlink, with their soldiers and snipers ready.

Emily decided to let Nyssa speak first.

"Step aside, impostor," Nyssa demanded in her usual haughty tone, clearly enraged by the fact Emily was now wearing the Resh robes.

"The only one that can be called an impostor is you, Nyssa. You disbanded this organisation, therefore forfeiting any claim to it. Then, you went on a misguided quest to destroy the heritage of the League, leaving it to rot, and its warriors, who gave their life to this place abandoned? You left its esteemed Priestess to be just what? Gatekeeper? I had no choice but to interfere."

"You're nothing, but Malcolm Merlyn's bitch, Ms wannabe Resh," Nyssa spat as Thea ran at Emily with her sword.

Damien lifted his hand, fully in control and she landed with a painful 'oomph' a few yards away.

Emily lifted her hand as well, and the chains around Sabrina and Blair turned to ashes. They stood up immediately and joined the warriors on Emily's side.

"Where is Nora?" Damien asked.

"Don't worry, they didn't get her. Before Nyssa and her posse ambushed us, she went on a secret mission with Kevin," Sabrina said as one of Emily's warrios handed her and Blair a bow.

Thea emitted a feral growl as she tried to stand up.

Damien lifted his hand up again and used his power, fully in control, to keep her down.

Emily strolled forward. "Nyssa, I am sorry to tell you, but, as Malcolm suspected, your Lotus potion was only a temporary solution to Thea's bloodlust. He and I have been working on a permanent one, before Chase's kidnapping of her called us to Lian Yu, where Malcolm perished. As will she, if we don't bring him back and provide her with a real cure."

"Why is he needed for that?" Nyssa challenged.

"She is his blood. Blood magic, a potion and an incantation combined are the final solution."

"Why should I-" Nyssa started, but a weak voice stopped her.

"She's right," Thea said. "The Lotus didn't work permanently. Sometimes I-I don't even recognize myself. I am able to control it for a time after I kill, and we did kill a lot of enemies during our quest for the Pits, but when it is too long, it just... It _hurts_ , so much. Sometimes I...I killed animals to slate the thirst. I am able to control it now. The shock of Dahrk's powers made it go away, but…" She broke into sobs. "It HURTS…" Emily made a move with her hand so Damien let her go. The girl just fell into a heap, crying harder. Emily had her own issues with Thea, but she was Malcolm's blood. She crouched next to her, risking whatever it was the young woman in front of her was capable of when in the grips of the bloodlust.

She touched her arm gently. "Thea, I truly do want to help you. Please, agree to come inside with Nyssa and we will bring your Dad back, we will cure you. You won't hurt anymore. You'll be free."

Thea surprised her by actually hugging her slightly. "I-I can't even get up. I feel so weak when I resist it."

Then Nyssa was there and together they lifted the girl up.

"We're going in," Nyssa said to Emily. "Bring Al Saher back and heal this young woman," she paused. "For what it's worth, I truly believed the Lotus would heal her."

Emily nodded "The important thing now is we focus on helping her. As deep as our differences run, I do believe your intention was to help her."

They entered the fortress with the escort of League warriors.

Thea and Nyssa were led to a chamber by some warriors and the Priestess, who provided Thea with calming herbs.

Tim stood guard outside the door.

A few hours later, they made their way towads the resurrection chamber. Thea was stable enough by then, for the time being, Nyssa and Tim accompanied her.

A half an hour later, Damien met Emily at the door of the Lazarus chamber, alone, looking sombre.

"Damien what the hell?" she exclaimed.

"Emily, one of my men on patrol hailed me and said that John Constantine is here and requests that you meet him."

"Fuck!" Emily exclaimed. "This is the last fucking thing I need right now!"

"I know who he is, Ems. He has quite the reputation. He does not want us to resurrect Malcolm."

"Well, it will be a cold day in hell if I let him prevent us from doing that. Tell your man I will meet them in the guest chamber."

Damien nodded and spoke into his commlink.

Emily made her way into the chamber.

She waited a while, then heard a knock on the door and a servant let John Constantine into the room, then made himself scarce.

"Ms Carson," Constantine said politely.

"Mr Constantine," Emily nodded. "Let us skip further pleasantries and cut right to the chase. I know why you are here and let me tell you off the get-go, I don't intend to give into your demands."

"Ms Carson, you do realise what you are about to do? Bring Malcolm Merlyn, a mass murderer back to life, a man who is now rightfully making his penance for his sins, in a place he belongs?"

Suddenly, Emily felt out of breath. Her heartbeat accelerated and she squeezed the side of the chair she grasped so hard it snapped.

"Say that to me again and the next thing that is going to snap is your neck!"

Constantine raised his hands in a placating manner.

"I did not mean any offense."

"And what I _do_ mean is for you to back the hell off! You think I don't know what you are?! And you think you know the man I love better than I do?! Let me disillusion you! The wife he loved beyond life itself was murdered years ago by a wannabe gangster; he was then betrayed by a boy he thought of as a son, hated by his daughter who gave him up to be tortured by a cruel douchebag, only to have his hand cut off by the same 'son' and then sacrifice himself for that very daughter! So forgive me if I try to rescue him from this HELL he is being tortured in as we speak! I WILL NOT let him suffer any longer! Did you know that what seems like hours to us here, is AGES there?! His life became hell and now he is facing hell in his afterlife. I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT! And if you came here thinking otherwise, then you shall have a hell of your own unleashed on yourself by myself, and I AM the Worldmaker and can become Worlddestroyer, if you challenge me!"

Emily didn't even realize how loud her voice had gotten, neither the reddish black hue her right hand had gotten.

John Constantine moved towards her with a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry, Emily. I had no idea…And while I might take issue with resurrecting Al Saher, I am here for Thea. I became aware through my sources that her bloodlust has returned. I know you know that I helped Sara Lance when she was in the throes of hers. I believe I may be of assistance to you in that regard."

"So, in the vast amount of knowledge you posses, you should know that her release from bloodlust depends on Malcolm being back. Blood magic. And once he is back and performs his task, I'm NOT EVER LETTING HIM GO AGAIN! Is that clear?" Emily asked in a steely tone.

"Yes, it is. I am a man of my word. Malcolm Merlyn shall remain alive, here with you, free of all persecution from me."

He reached out his hand and she shook his.

"Now, if you would accompany me to the Pit chamber for his resurrection?"

"Yes, of course."

XxXxXxX

Emily entered the Pit chamber with Damien, Constantine and Tim. The Priestess, Sabrina, Athena and Blair were already positioned in their places. Nyssa was standing a little further away, supporting a much better looking Thea, with Tim guarding them.

Emily climbed and stood in her position, then started the incantation, the rest following, The final piece was hers and hers alone. She emptied the vial as she spoke the words, calling for him to return.

The waters boiled and roiled again, then a figure in a soaked League suit emerged slowly.

It was Malcolm. Damien ran up with a blanket, then him and Emily dried him off, saying soothing words.

He was too weak to stand up at first, but eventually managed to. He looked around the room, then his gaze fell on Thea.

He stumbled towards her, mumbling unrecognizably. She shied away from him, and Nyssa tried a protective stance, but Tim dragged her away. Malcolm stood up firmly and Thea had nowhere to go, trapped between him and the wall.

"It's not a dream, darling?" He asked her in a tender tone as he gently took her by the arms and felt her, warm and alive. "Please tell me you made it off the island," he begged.

"Yes, I did," Thea confirmed.

Malcolm released a half sigh, a half sob. "Then it was all worth it... the Desolation, the pain, everything. I'm so glad I didn't fail you this time."

Then he let go of her, stumbled backwards and would have fallen if Damien had not ran up to catch him. He was shaking badly, pale and weak.

"Dad? Thea exclaimed as Emily ran up to him.

"What is going on?

Constantine stepped in. "It is probably the aftereffects of what he's been through in the Desolation. I have a spell that should help."

"Well then take him to his chamber and do your job," Emily snapped. "Tim, please take Thea and Nyssa to their chamber, make sure they're comfortable."

Then she followed Malcolm to his. Constantine approached. "I was right, Emily, it was just the aftereffects. The spell I performed worked, it put him in a restorative sleep. I prescribed some herbs, a healthy diet, and if you have room to spare for me here, I'd like to stay."

"Because of Thea, of course," Emily nodded. "Well, in a place as vast as this, I am certain there will be no problem with finding you appropriate accommodation."

"Thank you."

XxXxXxX

 _Several days later._

Malcolm awoke to a knock on his door. It was John Constantine.

Malcolm lifted himself up a little in the bed.

"Hello, Mr Constantine," he said politely. From what Emily told me you are one of the many people I have to thank for my recovery."

"Well, the one you need to thank the most is Emily herself. She fought for you like a hailstorm the world has rarely seen."

Malcolm smiled. "This is her, alright. My Hussaria."

"Aside from checking up on you, I come here on another matter, though."

Malcolm's expression grew very serious. "I know what you mean. Thea and her bloodlust. Has she gotten worse?"

"No, I managed to placate her with my spells and your High Priestess helped with her herbs."

Malcolm shook his head. "This is all just temporary. I'm certain Emily has told you she and I never believed in the Lotus potion. We have been working on a permanent solution." If… if we go to the library now, we can resume right away." Malcolm attempted to rise from the bed, but Constantine stopped him.

"No, we cannot, you're to weak."

Malcolm still attempted to fight him. "If I'm too weak to fight for my daughter, than what the hell am I good for?!" He shouted, his breathing growing faster with agitation.

"Malcolm, you have been though a very heavy ordeal, you are in no condition to go to any libraries," Constantine said fimly

"It's my DAUGHTER we are talking about, and you're in no position to tell me what I can or cannot do! I've had had enough of that in the Desolation!" Malcolm yelled as he struggled against Constantine, with no effect.

"I fully realize the gravity of the situation, but you will not help her if you faint on your way there. Malcolm, you MUST see the logic in that," Constantine said in a calming voice as he pressed gently against the Dark Archer's chest and lowered him back onto the bed.

"We will work from here, bring the library to you."

"Fine, I can agree to that, as long as we start right away."

"Granted. I'll go tell the others to get ready."

XxXxXxX

Several minutes later, Constantine returned, then Emily arrived with Sabrina and Damien, all three of them laden with notes and tommes of books.

Damien's heart skipped a beat as his gaze met Constantine's, but he shook the fear off, made a respectful nod to the man and moved on to put the books on the table. Emily had the vial with the potion hidden safely in her robes.

The Priestess brought a breakfast- type tray to be put on Malcolm's bed, so he could work from there and Emily handed Constantine the incantation papers to look over. He perused them and noted the skill and knowledge within them. After all, Emily Carson was a witch and Malcolm Merlyn was not called 'the Magician' for no reason. Sabrina was an expert on runes. Constantine gazed at them all with respect.

"This is great stuff," he said. "But there is still much work to be done."

They nodded, then went on to discuss the runes and how to pronounce the incantation properly.

Eventually, Malcolm felt strong enough to return to his library and work from there. He was still plagued by nightmares of the Desolation, but Constantine helped him with that by using calming spells and instructing the High Priestess on how to prepare special herbal teas for him to alleviate the symptoms. Besides, the man's unwavering determination to save his daughter was beyond admirable.

Emily felt amazing to see Malcolm back in his Resh robes, working away, being the ruler of their empire again.

One day, when he came out to the hall, all his warriors surprised him when they knelt and murmured a heartfelt and respectful "Resh". He was now fully reinstated as the League's leader, Emily his co-ruler, Sabrina his First Lieutenant.

Malcolm smiled. He was finally where he wanted to be. No longer a slave, but a man with the full grasp on his destiny, pursuing his goals.

 ** _Author's note:_** _This is one of the most challenging chaps, so please people, review! It's all for you!_


	14. Defiance

Mythical

Chapter 14

Defiance

Author's note:Like the title says, this chapter is all about defiance of various kinds: of overcoming the pests that plague the heroes of this story as well as me personally and people in general.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm threw himself into the files regarding Thea's recovery with the energy of a wild tiger, Constantine helping when required. Sabrina and Emily were indispensable with their witchcraft knowledge, so was Athena with her skill at reading ancient scripts. Damien came up with the correct spellwork when needed.

Finally, everything seemed ready. Malcolm rose and made his way to Thea and Nyssa's room. Tim said everything was in order, then stepped aside and Malcolm went in.

Nyssa rose at his entrance, fear evident in her gaze. She was wearing her League suit. She regarded him in his regalia, then surprised him by kneeling. "Al Saher, I know I failed your daughter… I truly thought the Lotus would heal her. I know my treachery of you and my failure equal the utmost punishment." Her voice hitched. "Now, before I die, please grant me the dignity of swearing my allegiance to you. I… I don't want to die a nobody, Resh," she whispered, then composed herself, her eyes darting to the scimitar at Malcolm's belt.

"Your dignity is noted," Malcolm said, and then surprised her by laying a hand on her arm. He noticed with shock that she was shaking. "Rise, Nyssa...Nyssie," he used a nickname he'd made up for her when she was still a young teen, when he first came to the League, back when they weren't enemies. He helped her up. They stood face to face, like equals, but her gaze still flicked towards his scimitar.

"I'm not going to kill you, Nyssa. I know you meant well with the Lotus and... we all make mistakes." Malcolm's mind traveled to when he'd tried to quell Thea's Bloodlust by tricking her into killing his own warriors. "The important thing is to learn from them," he said levelly. "This is not the League of Assassins as you've known it. It is a New League, and...what Emily and I are creating goes far beyond even that. You are fully welcome to be part of it, should you choose so."

"I do, Resh." She bowed as he continued.

"It is I who should apologize, Nyssa. The rift between you and Sara-"

Nyssa stopped him with a movement of her hand. "Al Saher, the rift between her and I has nothing to do with you. It's…caused by many issues that you had no part in."

Malcolm nodded, let a few moments go by before changing the subject. "Nyssa, I also want to thank you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "For what?"

"For being there for Thea, for taking care of her when she needed it the most. How is she now?"

"Stable."

"She hasn't tried to attack you or Tim?"

Nyssa swallowed, touched by Malcolm's concern.

"No, she's been sleeping, mostly. The calming herbs and spells provided by Mr Constantine are really helping."

Malcolm took a deep breath. "Well, today is the day, Nyssa. The potion and incantation I prepared with my friends to heal her permanently is ready. I would be honored if you took part in the ceremony."

"Thank you," Nyssa said as Malcolm moved to sit at Thea's bedside and gently nudged her awake.

"Hello, darling," he said and Nyssa handed him a cup with the calming tea to keep any symptoms of the Bloodlust at bay.

"Dad," Thea said groggily. "I'm at Nanda, right?" She asked. She seemed a little disoriented, but mellow, which was good.

"Yes," Malcolm confirmed. She sat up and he gave her the tea, then waited a moment before it took effect. "Thea, dear, today we will finally heal you of the Bloodlust."

Thea balked at that. "You're going to send men in for me to kill like you did before?"

"No. It is a potion and a spell we have been working on for months," he paused and looked at her earnestly. "Please, trust me on this. I love you and all I ever wanted was for you to be safe and well. To thrive."

She looked away. "Dad it hurts, it really hurts, the lust… And even when satiated, it returns, e-eating away at me.." Thea whimpered. "I know pain is always part of life, but this... T-this kind is... inhuman."

Malcolm hugged her then. "And today, we will free you of this. Forever."

She nodded. Nyssa brought Tim in and they helped Thea get up. She looked so innocent in her white gown as she leaned on all of them. They made their way to the Pit chamber. Thea looked at the waters.

"They are different now, enhanced." Emily said in a calming voice as Malcolm helped Thea down the steps to sit inside as if she were in a bath. It was not a resurrection, so there was no need to immerse her fully.

Constantine approached Malcolm as Damien handed him a dagger. "You know what the final ingredient is and what it entails," Constantine said.

"Yes," Malcolm said. It meant him cutting his wrist and letting some of the droplets of his blood fall into the vial. What it also entailed was reliving all the nightmares of the Desolation.

"Don't let Thea watch," Malcolm said. "Nyssa, distract her," he whispered to the woman.

She nodded. Malcolm made the cut and closed his eyes, stifling a gasp of pain. Then the images started, like a kaleidoscope. To everyone in the room, it was minutes, but for him, it was ages, every second of torture relived with each morbid detail enhanced. When he finally opened his eyes, Constantine and Damien were there, holding him up, letting the droplets of his blood fall into the vial.

"Now the potion is complete," Constantine proclaimed as Damien bandaged Malcolm's wrist.

Malcolm nodded, took the vial from Constantine and approached Thea.

Sabrina, Emily, Athena and Damien took places in a circle around the pool, while Constantine and the High Priestess stood a little distance away to supervise and interfere if needed.

Malcolm walked down the stone steps and sat next to Thea in the Pit. He put his arm around her in a soothing manner.

"Darling, I need you to drink this, and then we will perform the healing incantation."

She looked at him with fear and doubt. "Please, really help me this time," she pleaded as she leaned into his hug.

"There is no other option, love. I will NOT fail you,"

Malcolm said and his voice was not steel, it was titanium.

She hesitated a moment, then leaned back as he cupped her head in his hand and tipped the vial. She started to drink.

"Don't rush it, take your time," Malcolm instructed in a soothing tone. When she swallowed the last drop, they began the chant. She convulsed a little, but Malcolm held her firmly in his arms and glanced at Constantine. The man nodded for them to continue. Then, after a particularly violent convulsion, a red ghostly shape emerged from Thea's chest, screaming and writhing, trying to make its way back into Thea, who looked at it in horror, but Emily reached out her hand, directing it at the monster.

"Begone!" she shouted in Latin and it vaporized.

Thea gasped in relief and collapsed against Malcolm with exhaustion.

"That was the manifestation of her Bloodlust," Constantine said and nodded at Emily. "Well done, Worldmaker, you vanquished it."

Damien helped Malcolm and Thea out of the pool. Sabrina and Emily approached with towels to dry them off. Then the Dark Archer took Thea in his arms and carried her back to her chamber. Nyssa and Sabrina dressed her in a dry nightgown, then Malcolm lay her down on the bed. He went out for a while to change into dry clothes himself.

"I will stay here tonight," he said to Nyssa when he returned.

"D-do you want me to leave?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean... I can find another chamber to sleep in and-"

"No," Malcolm said. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable in your bed here. You've been her friend for so long, I'm sure she will want to see you when she wakes. I'll just sit here, make sure everything is all right."

Nyssa nodded and lay down, then looked at Malcolm as he sat on the bed next to the sleeping Thea.

Nyssa watched his falcon-like profile for a while after she settled into her cushions.

' _Like a silent sentinel,'_ she thought before she fell asleep, feeling safe.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm did not sleep a wink that night. He watched Thea till the break of dawn, searching for any signs of distress, but there were none. She just stirred briefly, but he saw a soft smile on her face. He remembered it from when she was a baby. He kissed her on the forehead and turned to Nyssa, who was having a worse night.

She whimpered a little in her sleep. He went to sit by her bedside and watched her. His mind traveled to before they were enemies, and he imagined what she must have gone through. The previous Ra's Al Ghul had been a mere excuse of a father to her. During his time at the League, Malcolm witnessed her being mistreated ever since she was barely a teen. He saw the constant criticism, her childhood innocence slowly being killed by cruel demands and relentless combat training. He understood, because his own innocence had similarly been killed, even though he was an adult man back then.

Nyssa tossed and turned in her sleep, clearly in the throes of some nightmare. Malcolm grabbed her arms and shook her slightly to make her snap out of it. She opened her eyes and withdrew, her back against the wall. "Al Saher," she exclaimed. "I-Is it Thea? Is something wrong?!" She was shaking.

"No," Malcolm said in a calming manner. "She is all right." He paused. "Nyssa, I didn't just come here to make sure Thea was alright, but you as well."

She looked at him in shock. "Why?"

"Because I want to make good on my promise. And I promised you a New League. Which involves ensuring the welfare of each of its members. And you are one, aside from being my daughter's friend."

"B-But I-I'm a traitor," Nyssa stammered.

"That's in the past, Nyssa. Let's set ourselves free of it, live in the now, and build a future, like we discussed. Now, I noticed you had a nightmare."

"I did, b-but it was so jumbled, I don't know what it was about," she sighed.

"I have nightmares too. Each night," Malcolm admitted in a low voice, and Nyssa lifted herself up a little, her shock rising at this honest, kind side of him returning after all these years.

"Some of them are very vivid and haunting even upon waking, some jumbled like yours." He paused. "But I've learned that in order to get rid of them, sometimes it's not enough just to wave them away, but talk to someone. And I want you to know I can be that someone for you. A friend, to help you banish them."

Suddenly, Nyssa was brought back to a time when she was a teen, Malcolm a trainee in the League. Her father had given her a harsh criticism and she escaped to one of Nanda Parbat's gardens to hide her urge to cry. Malcolm was there. He'd soothed her and consoled her. This was the Malcolm she saw now. Not the traitor who had Sara killed, not the tyrant who'd ordered her to kneel in a steely tone when he first became Resh.

"Well, at some point you did tell me I suck at my footwork, and that it was no wonder I wasn't chosen to be Resh because I came with the Lotus potion unprepared for the possibility you might betray me."

"Nyssa, most of it was spoken in anger, meant to hurt and humiliate, not necessarily true, so don't let it haunt you," he said as she settled near him more comfortably. "You do make a mistake with your footwork when you step back, giving your opponents the advantage." He paused. "I'm sorry... I was petty before and just mocked you for it, but… I could... teach you how to fix it. I meant it when I said I enjoyed my sparring sessions with you back when I was Resh before the disbandment. You are a skilled warrior, and we could... resume the sparring sessions, without the enmity this time?"

Nyssa gazed at him for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Yes, I would like that, Al Saher." She lay back down and eventually fell asleep.

Malcolm moved back to Thea's bed and watched her. She woke up eventually and sat up with a start.

"Thea, how do you feel?" he asked anxiously.

She swallowed thickly and he handed her a glass of water.

She took a few sips and got her bearings. "I-I feel different, as if… as if some huge weight has been lifted off my chest, one I didn't even know I was carrying."

They talked a little about the procedure and Thea remembered most of it. "Dad, I feel like the Bloodlust is really gone!" She said with joy and actually hugged him spontaneously. "I also feel really tired," she sighed.

"That's normal; you've been through quite an ordeal," Malcolm said.

Constantine and Emily looked in on them a little later, and he confirmed the Bloodlust really was gone.

Thea nodded with relief and fell back to sleep as Malcolm tucked her in.

XxXxXxX

Sara stood at the controls of the Waverider, and banged her hand against the glass table in frustration. Limited fuel. Not even enough to fly out of here, with Emily's mighty aircraft Hussaria ready to fire at her if she made one wrong move. "Damn it!" she exclaimed, but was broken out of her reverie by Gideon's voice.

"Captain Lance, there is a female approaching our aircraft. I seems to be Ms Emily Carson."

Great, now, to boot, she had the Worldmaker on her back.

As Emily approached the vehicle, her heart accelerated, but she said to herself ' _I'm the freaking Worldmaker and I know the purpose I come here with.'_

Surprisingly, the ship's entrance opened and she was welcomed by a towering, muscled man, holding a bottle of beer, who regarded her for a moment, then said in a gruff voice, "So this is the famous Worldmaker."

"And you would be?" she asked in a polite tone.

"Everyone calls me Rory." He reached out his free hand and she shook it. "Pardon my habit, but if you're here to blow us all to smithereens, I'd rather die drunk."

"Nice to meet you, Rory. And I'm not blowing anything to smithereens. I merely came here to converse with your Captain and settle some issues," Emily said, shaking his hand.

"Sure," he said in his grovelly voice and led her inside. "Would you like something to drink while you talk?" he offered.

"Actually, yes," Emily said. "What you're having will be fine. I like a good beer and this is a prime brand," she added with a smile. Making a member of the opposing crew like her never hurt, according to rules of good strategy.

"Well, coming right up. And I appreciate a girl who knows her liquor. Sara is right behind that door."

Emily entered and saw the Captain of the Waverider already waiting. "Hello, Sara," she said.

"Hello,Emily," Sara answered. "So, when is my ship to turn to dust and me with it, Worldmaker?" Her voice was firm but she couldn't keep a hint of fear out of it.

Emily sighed in frustration. "Why does everyone recently assume I'm going to just go and destroy everything? I'm not the fucking Plague, Sara. I came here to talk. My aircraft is just a precaution, in case you get trigger-happy."

That was when Rory entered with two bottles of beer and handed them to the women.

"You might need this, for your talk," he said and made himself scarce.

"So, you already turned one of my team members into your lackey," Sara mocked.

"No, I merely asked him politely for a beer," Emily said in a level voice.

"Well then, I wouldn't want to be a worse hostess than Rory. You came here to talk, so let's talk. Sit down with me." She indicated a table and Emily sat opposite her. She took a swig of her beer. It was a strong one, but tasted good. Sara took a sip as well.

"I guess you came here with some demands," Sara started.

"Conditions," Emily corrected.

"Oh?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to be in a bit of a bind here, Sara. Almost out of fuel and I guess there are a lot of matters that need your attention in space." She paused and took a sip of her beer. "I could help you with that."

"So you came here not so much to talk as to bargain, Emily."

' _Damn right I came here to bargain and my father is a master bargainer, as is Malcolm, and they taught me how to do this, so has life itself.'_ Emily thought, but aloud she only said politely, "I prefer to call it negotiation, talk, reaching an agreement that benefits both of us."

"Well then, name your conditions," Sara said.

Emily nodded. "Malcolm and Damien are to be set free. No more calling them 'aberrations' or hunting them." Her voice was steel. She paused to let the words sink in.

"This land has underground sources of fuel going as deep as the lowest levels of the Atlantic. We've tapped into them. You saw my airplane, the Hussaria. It is the most advanced aircraft on Earth. We can use it to pump the fuel you need into the Waverider within several minutes."

Sara surprised her by laughing. "And that's all you have to offer me? A gas stop for my ship in exchange for the lives of two mass-murderers? Is that the best bargain you can make?"

Emily's eyes turned into a storm again. "I'm not finished," she growled. "And I'm no fool. Even if we give you the fuel, you will be back. What I can do for you is restore Laurel's life," she said.

Sara sat in silent shock for a while.

"No," she shook her head. "That is not possible. I've discussed scenarios with Gideon, the Time Guardians and it never worked."

Emily rose and put her bottle of beer down with a bang."Oh stop it with your talk about Time-whatsit shits and their 'rules'." Her voice rang with an otherworldly power. "I am the WORLDMAKER." Do you think it's a what, a gamer nickname? I can actually CREATE realms. And do you think Malcolm's name, Al Saher, the Magician is also a gamer nickname? You haven't experienced the fullness of his powers yet and they have grown. We healed Thea of her Bloodlust, permanently, unlike your Beloved Nyssa. We restored the Lazarus Pit that now can resurrect people with no side effects, like you suffered. We are working on creating a realm where people that have died can live on and where you can see them whenever you want, as if they were never gone! We are defying death. And forget the 'aberration' bull. Laurel could be here back in this world if we don't waste time. No more crap like the Flashpoint Barry Allen created. But, unfortunately, if one waits too long, the only option is the realm Malcolm and I are building. We still could have them back, Sara. No more crying over a grave or watching old photos as the only remnants of their lives. They could live on here or there and you could actually touch them, interact, know that they are with you, FEEL them!" Emily shouted as her emotions overcame her.

Sara watched her for a few moments, then asked, "With all your powers, why would you choose this, instead of... I don't know, creating some carefree wonderland for yourself?"

"Because, Sara, doing this, IS my wonderland. And who knows, maybe after this I will make a fun wonderland. But for now, as hard as it is, this is what my soul wants. Life. Restored. I have been a member of an anti-death society for years. My faith is LIFE."

Sara looked at her and her breath hitched as she thought of Laurel.

She drank the rest of her beer in a few gulps. "Emily, do it," she said. "Bring her back. Bring Laurel back to me. I-I'll comply with all your demands. I-I need her back," she whispered.

"I will. Transport her body here and I will make the necessary preparations. The Hussaria will refuel the Waverider shortly. We'll meet as soon as you arrive back."

Sara nodded and they shook hands.

XxXxXxX

 _Nanda Parbat, a few hours later._

Emily was walking down a corridor when she was startled by a cold hand on her shoulder.

She turned around swiftly, shaking the hand away, took a few steps back and whipped out her scimitar.

The figure standing before her wore tattered robes. Its face was a skull and it wielded a scythe, which told her immediately what it was.

The one thing she hated the most. Death itself.

"Emily Carson," the figure said in a croaky, but threatening voice. "Your defiance of me has not gone unnoticed."

Emily straightened, taking a battle stance. "I never meant for it to go unnoticed, neither did I make a mystery of the fact that I am your enemy," she said in a dark voice.

"Well, now you can consider it noticed and face the consequences. You took many souls away from me and it is my task to bring them back to where they belong."

"Well, gee, sorry for making your job harder," she mocked.

The figure laughed. "You are a stubborn one. But everyone eventually succumbs to me. Even the remainder of your family."

"Never!"Emily shouted.

The figure attacked her with an unearthly growl, but she used all of her skill to dodge the strikes and go on the offensive.

"You say I took souls from you?" she panted as she delivered strike after strike. "What about what you took from me?! All of my grandparents, my mother, my friends? And you threaten me with more?! When the fuck do you stop?! Well I tell you when you stop!" Now!" Her scimitar glowed silver. She struck the scythe and it disintegrated.

The figure withdrew, shocked.

Emily felt a hand on her shoulder. It was John Constantine. She felt warm, supportive magic radiating from him.

"You clearly do not know whom you are dealing with," he addressed the creature. "She is not only a Worldmaker, but one of the Lifebringers."

Emily had only an idea what that last moniker meant from a book of myths she'd once read, but she knew enough. She approached the creature, her hand shining silver and gold and touched its skull face. "I do not fear you. You have no power over me."

The figure whimpered in pain as she continued, in a supernatural voice. "You will never again touch me or mine."

Constantine started a chant in Latin.

The figure shrieked, then shrunk and withdrew.

"No, I won't," it said in a respectful tone.

"Now begone and stay in your realm unless I call for you,"

Emily commanded in her titanium tone.

The figure writhed and twisted, then disappeared as Constantine finished his chant.

Then he approached her. "Emily, do you realize what you've just done? You've become somewhat of a master of death."

"I know," she said calmly.

"What is your goal in all of this?" Constantine asked as they walked back to the main room.

She stayed silent till they reached the chamber, then turned towards him as she poured him a goblet of wine.

"My goal? It's simple, and it is what it's always been," she said, without a hint of hesitation. "Immortality."

XxXxXxX

Nyssa woke up slowly to a hearty breakfast served to her by none other than then High Priestess herself.

"Eggs with bacon, your favourite," the woman said as Nyssa stood up, went to the table and sat down. "Today is the day you resume your sparring sessions with Resh. You need proper nourishment," she announced and poured her a glass of orange juice.

"Miss Thea was moved to her own chamber, and she is doing well, getting stronger," she added.

Nyssa nodded and ate one of the most delicious breakfasts in her life. She dressed in her suit and went to the training room. As she entered it, she was assaulted by an avalanche of memories.

Of her father humiliating and punishing her whenever she failed, of being forced to watch other warriors get slaughtered, of her then fighting with Malcolm when he first became Resh, of her hatred.

Then her reverie was broken by the man himself emerging from behind a column, a mild, welcoming smile on his face.

"Good morning, Nyssa," he said politely. "I hope you had a restful night?"

She was not quite sure what to do, so she dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Yes, thank you, Resh," she said.

Malcolm approached her and lifted her by the arms. "We've known each other too long for such formalities, Nyssa. Let's reserve them for special League occasions, when they are necessary," he said.

She nodded.

Malcolm continued."On another matter, I moved Thea to her own chamber and decided to make an addition to yours." Nyssa recalled the elegantly decorated breakfast table and the Purporia flower adorning it.

 _'He remembered',_ her mind whispered as it traveled back to their meeting in the League garden when she was just a teenager and pointed it out to him as her favourite.

It was all so new and unfamiliar to her. This kindness, this... consideration. There was a saying that suffering ennobled a person and as she looked at the man standing before her, she noticed the ever-so slight undercurrent of pain running through his blue eyes, even as he smiled.

"Thank you, Al Saher," she said gently, smiling a little herself.

"You're welcome." He nodded. "So, let's address that unnecessary pesky issue of your footwork," he said. "Approach and attack me as you usually would in a duel."

Nyssa drew her scimitar and did as instructed. They exchanged a few blows, then he made a maneuver that always defeated her, but this time he caught her and helped her up before she fell.

"Now, let me show you what you do wrong," he said patiently and showed her the correct movements, making her try and try again with imaginary opponents for a start, without a single mean word. He was firm with his instructions, but also kind.

"Remember your core Nyssa! Remain aware of your surroundings. Now, try this against me," he commanded and she attacked. She followed his instructions and manged to jump away just in time not to fall, then looked around to scan her surroundings, like he said.

"Well done, " Malcolm praised. "Now, let's go again,"

They practiced and practiced. Each time Nyssa stumbled, Malcolm helped her up and let her go again, even did the movement with her to show her the correct muscle work.

"Now again, and again…" It was like a dance of battle between them, except now, there was no enmity. Nyssa truly enjoyed herself as she felt her skills growing and being nourished, her mistakes not mocked, but corrected.

Eventually, she leaned against Malcolm, panting. He helped her to stand upright, then went over to one of the tables. She expected to be scolded for her weakness, but he just brought them both glasses of water. "It's important to stay hydrated," he explained and they downed their glasses in several gulps. Nyssa was shocked. Her father never bothered to keep his warriors hydrated during training or battle. If they dropped, they were just dead meat to him.

Malcolm was very different. After they drank, she felt new strength pump through her and they tried different tactics, different positions, and instead of stopping her, Malcolm kept shouting out instructions as they went on; a new, and immensely helpful teaching technique for Nyssa. He helped her avoid mistakes before she even made them.

He called a break for lunch around noon and clasped her hand in a respectful manner, that of a fellow warrior. "I'll go check on Thea while they prepare our meal and be right back. Remember to hydrate while you wait," he said.

Nyssa did as he as he advised and actually waited with impatience for his return. He came back shortly, told her Thea was mending well with Tim standing by her door, guarding her. They were served a delicious lunch, then relaxed at the table for a while.

"One shouldn't exercise right after eating," Malcolm said and he actually talked to her about a diet that might increase her performance.

"A new League indeed," she whispered softly as she smiled at him, taking a sip of her water. They talked for a while, comfortably, avoiding difficult topics, their past slowly melting away. They both knew healing old wounds would take time, but at least they've made the first steps.

Nyssa stood up eventually. "All right, Al Saher, I'm ready for more training!" she exclaimed and he was surprised at how enthusiastic she sounded.

"Let's go, then."

Malcolm made it more challenging this time and some of the League warriors joined them for a while. They would attack Nyssa after the maneuver with Malcolm so she could face real multiple opponents and hone her skill in regaining the awareness of her surroundings faster after being focused on performing the most difficult movement.

Eventually, Malcolm dismissed the warriors and suggested he and Nyssa go get cleaned up and then meet up in the garden to relax an recuperate after their exercise. She agreed.

XxXxXxX

Nyssa changed into a fresh set of clothes and went to the garden to wait for Malcolm. As she entered, pleasant memories flooded in. Of how he had helped her in her moments of need, how thanks to him, the garden had become a place of solace for her.

He joined her soon after, dressed in his informal robes. They strolled together, admiring the flowers and the bushes, enjoying the fresh air, the scents of the plants around them, the sound of birdsong.

Suddenly, something changed for Malcolm. In a single moment, the idyllic landscape of the garden morphed into that of the hellish images of the Desolation. He was standing in the middle of it again, watching the writhing, disfigured creatures as pain exploded in his chest.

"No," he gasped as they reached for him. "No, please, no!"

Suddenly a voice broke through their daemonic wails.

"Al Saher, Al Saher, AL SAHER!" Slowly, the hellish landscape dissipated and Malcolm found himself back in the garden, on all fours, heaving. Nyssa was kneeling next to him, a panicked expression on her face. He grasped her arm, shaking.

"Al Saher, wh-what is happening? Should I call for Emily?"

"N-no," he gasped and shook his head vehemently. "I d-don't want to worry her. J-Just help me to the pagoda, I..I t-told the P-Priestess to leave us some herbal tea there."

Nyssa helped him up and he leaned on her, barely putting one foot in front of the other. He collapsed onto one of the chairs around a small table, where mugs with fragrant herbal tea were already waiting.

Nyssa moved her chair closer to him. "Al Saher, tell me what is happening to you!"

"Th-The Desolation," he breathed out and looked at her. She never expected to see such fear in the Dark Archer's eyes. He lowered his gaze quickly.

"That place you got sent to after you died on Lian Yu? B-But isn't the new Pit supposed to heal all that?" she asked.

"It's a little bit different with me. I've been to a hellish realm and they don't release souls such as mine so easily. The Pit healed the madness and tendency to violence, but not the… the remnants of the torture they put me through there." He shivered a little more violently. "I told you before, I get nightmares. That is one of the side effects, as is apparently what happened just now."

"Can't Emily do something? She has all these powers..." Nyssa suggested.

"They are still new to her and healing me fully is very... complicated. Besides, now she needs to focus on a more pressing task. But, John Constantine has been helping me by performing some spells and the tea we are about to drink is filled with herbs and extracts meant to heal and strengthen."

Malcolm took a shaky breath.

"You're still in pain," Nyssa said and handed him the mug.

"It goes away eventually," he said quietly.

They both sipped their tea for a while in silence.

Nyssa saw how Malcolm struggled through his pain and felt haunted as she imagined what he must have gone through in the Desolation, impressed by his bravery.

She gathered up her courage, then asked, "Can _I_ help? I mean, I have no special powers or anything, but…"

Malcolm touched her on the shoulder briefly. "You already have."

"How?"

Malcolm sighed. "Aside from the tortures of penance, being in hell means your soul is exposed to constant hatred, among other things, all the worst kinds of emotions. Talking with you today, sparring amicably, seeing your joy and success, it… it has a healing power of its own. Besides, who knows how much my hallucination would have lasted if you hadn't pulled me out."

Nyssa looked away for a second, then said, "I'd like to do more. Maybe I should take you to your chambers to rest for a while after this ordeal?" she offered.

"No, I… I'd rather stay place is so peaceful,and has so much beauty. It also heals the soul. Could you just… sit here with me for a while?" he asked.

Nyssa nodded in agreement. "Of course."

A maid came back to refill their mugs with the tea and Nyssa saw that Malcolm was looking stronger.

"So what is this important task Emily is taking care of?" She queried.

Malcolm took a sip of his tea. "We are resurrecting Laurel. Emily and Constantine are in the library right now tweaking the incantation and the ritual."

Nyssa gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "That is… wonderful. Sara will be so happy to have her sister back!"

Malcolm smiled "This is what the New League is all about," he said, finished off his tea and they made their way back.

XxXxXxX

Hope you liked it! It was a very important chap. Reviews always appreciated!


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